Tom Petrizzo, CEO of Tri-County Mental Health Services
I often use this space to highlight some of the great people here at Tri-County, and the wonderful work they do. I am justifiably proud of the positive impact that Tri-County has on our community! At a recent joint meeting of our Board of Directors and the Board of the Tri-County Foundation, though, it struck me how much of our work is done in concert with wonderful community partners in our three-county service area.
Schools: We work with schools in Clay, Platte, and Ray Counties, providing resilience, art, music and recreation therapies, prevention services, and more. We have 39 staff members working in 51 schools, and we could not do it without the help of the Northland’s outstanding schools.
Law Enforcement: We work with over 40 local Law Enforcement agencies. in over 40 departments and units. Those departments welcome our Community Behavioral Health Liaisons to support them in helping our fellow citizens who are struggling with a mental health challenge. We provide Crisis Intervention Training to roughly 70 officers a year, thanks to the partnerships we have with those law enforcement agencies.
Hospitals: Hospitals are some of our closest allies in providing care in our community. We work with all the local hospitals, and contact consumers by phone within 24 hours of discharge and offer face-to-face visits within a week after discharge.
Health Departments: Our partnership with the Health Departments of Clay and Platte Counties helps us provide walk-in crisis intervention, intake assessments and therapy at the Health Departments. These positions are partially funded through our partnership with Northland Health Care Access.
Funders: Finally, I should mention the partners who help fund us. We receive vital funding from the Clay, Platte, Ray Mental Health Board of Trustees, without which we would simply not be able to meet the needs of our community. Our growth in school based services has been fueled by support from the Clay County Children’s Services Fund. Over the years, we have received funding from many great Foundations, including the Linscomb Foundation, the Health Forward Foundation, the REACH Foundation, the Harvest Ball Society, H&R Block, the Victor E. Speas Foundation, and others. We also enjoy support from local businesses that sponsor our fundraisers, and, of course, from individuals who, from the goodness of their hearts, send us checks and gifts to help us do our work.
They say that no person is an island, and that is equally true for Tri-County. I’m proud of the accomplishments of the people I work with here, and I am thankful for all the good people of the Northland who are generous partners and supporters of all we do to make our community healthier and safer.
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