Community Mental Health Liaison

Community Mental Health Liaison (CMHL) positions have been created by the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The goal of the initiative is to form better community partnerships with crisis systems, law enforcement agencies, and the courts to best utilize existing resources and improve access to behavioral health services and supports.

Your Community Mental Health Liaison
Can Help You:

• Answer general questions about mental health issues, diagnoses and treatments.
• Connect people with needed treatments and supports.
• Assist law enforcement and courts in locating inpatient psychiatric beds for involuntary commitments.
• Facilitate access to behavioral health services.
• Identify and address structural barriers, miscommunications and consistent patterns that reduce access to behavioral health services.
• Provide or coordinate trainings on mental health issues, civil commitment, Mental Health First Aid, suicide prevention and guardianship process.
• Collaborate with Mental Health, Treatment and Veterans courts, as well as other specialty courts as needed.
• Participate in meetings for other court initiatives (JDAI, COYI).
• Participate or assist in development of Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) or other initiatives that assist law enforcement in dealing with individuals with behavioral health needs.