Not once, but twice, the annual golf tournament sponsored by the Northeast Georgia Health System Foundation was put on hold because of COVID-19. Even so, the Foundation has pledged to fund the program that was named the beneficiary of the tournament.
At a work session Thursday morning, Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish appeared before Gainesville City Council along with Chris Bray, the President and Chief Development Officer for the Foundation, to present the grant for continued funding of GPD's Mental Health Co-Responder Program.
Parrish told council members the $110,000 grant not only will pay for the continued work of one mental health clinician, but also it will allow for expansion of the program. Seed funding for the program, which was launched in May 2020, was provided by the North Georgia Community Foundation.
"That seed grant has expired," Parrish explained to council members. "We were set - as you know - to be the recipients of the [Medical Center Open] golf tournament funds in 2020, which COVID delayed, and again in 2021, which has been delayed...the Foundation has stepped up and said 'we will fund that gap starting now.'"
In addition, the grant will provide for the hiring of a second mental health clinician for the police department.
Mayor Danny Dunagan thanked Bray for the support of the program.
"I think this program has been a huge success for our city and from what I understand, the clinician [Anjana Freeman] that's there now is overwhelmed with work," Dunagan said.
Councilwoman Juli Clay said she appreciated the Foundation and the police department being forward-thinking when it comes to handling mental health issues in the community.
"This program is definitely a model, not just in our community, but throughout the state and throughout the country," Clay said.
Following the work session, Parrish told AccessWDUN the second clinician will be working by next month, which will dramatically lighten Freeman's workload.
"It also allows us to expand some of our services for City of Gainesville inmates at the Hall County Jail. It allows us to collaborate with some of our other non-profits in getting services. It also gives us better access when we have one of those volatile field calls where we need a clinician on scene...the other can remain at the police department," Parrish said.
Gainesville City Council will formally vote to accept the grant funding at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 5:30 p.m.
