Lawrence Kansas Police and the Treatment and Recovery Center

The Teams:

The Lawrence Kansas Police Department often encounters individuals who are in distress, but who have not committed a crime nor sustained a physical injury.

The Treatment and Recovery Center (TRC) of Douglas County is operated by the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. The TRC is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic.

How it works:

• The TRC provides officers with a special entrance to bring people in crisis, ensuring timely and appropriate treatment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• By offering crisis stabilization and medication-assisted detox, the TRC helps divert individuals from jails and emergency departments to begin their behavioral health or substance use recovery journeys.

Why it matters:

The collaboration enhances community well-being by providing critical support services and pathways to recovery for people with critical mental health needs.

• It offers alternatives to jail or a hospital, creating a safer environment for those seeking help.
• People in crisis receive the right treatment in the right place at the right time.
• The average time it takes for a Law Enforcement Officer to drop someone off at the TRC is between seven and eight minutes – fulfilling the collective goal of returning officers to service within the community as quickly as possible.