Workplace Safety within Behavioral Healthcare Organizations

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Program) helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 08 Congressional Budget. Funds should be used for purposes recommended by Congress.

The Johnson County Mental Health Center will provide behavioral healthcare agencies with the information, resources, and materials needed to help ensure that the discussion of safety is an ongoing part of an organizational culture. They will train local behavioral healthcare and social services agencies to be aware of and be able to manage workplace risk and personal safety. The Johnson County Mental Health Center will provide supervisors and managers within local behavioral healthcare and social services agencies, resources and a platform to build a general awareness about safety and risk issues, and help workers to understand both the skills and protocols of response to common situations faced by their specific service area. They will work to increase awareness regarding the importance of reporting incidents of violence within an organization and developing an organizational culture that creates a comfortable environment for workers to raise safety concerns while providing the Counties of Douglas, Wyandotte and Johnson with the ability to investigate and create local safety initiatives specific to their communities, including Crisis Intervention Training for law enforcement agencies, use of technology and communication to improve community based safety, and use of consultants to improve facility safety.

NCA/NCF