Pastoral Institute to train Muscogee Co. Sheriff’s Office in mental health

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office is looking to make mental health a staple within the department.

A competitive grant was awarded to the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office in December and is helping the office take a new approach to policing.

Sheriff Greg Countryman tells News Leader 9 that a $52,000 grant from December will help fund law enforcement training in use of force and de-escalation, crisis intervention teams, and deputy or correction officer mental health.

According to officials, the training will take be conducted through the Pastoral Institute.

”So I love this training and I love this opportunity because it allows us to train our deputies because they may be dealing with something or wrestling with a burden they might not need to deal with themselves,” said Sheriff Countryman.

The first class starts Wednesday, March 2, with 20 officers enrolled. Sheriff’s office officials tell us they will hold two classes per month until December of this year.

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