Press Contacts
Ron Brady
GRAND Director PR/Marketing
918-600-5790
rbrady@grandmh.com
Catherine Divis
Account Supervisor – Schnake Turbo Frank
918-645-0629
catherine@schnake.com
Barnsdall Officer & Bartlesville Chief Awarded Officer of the Year and Law Enforcement Administrator of the Year by Grand Lake Mental Health
Grand Lake Mental Health Center, Inc. (GLMHC) today announced its first-annual law enforcement honors to Officer Rick Harper of the Barnsdall, Oklahoma Police Department as Officer of the Year, and Bartlesville, Oklahoma Police Chief Tracy Roles as Law Enforcement Administrator of the Year. An awards ceremony will take place Wednesday, June 9th, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. at the Bartlesville Police Department, 615 South Johnstone Avenue.
The awards focus on individuals who work with community partners, such as GLMHC, to tackle the issues facing law enforcement and mental health in an effort to better serve the public.
Officer Harper has often gone above and beyond to help those in Barnsdall to seek mental health services and to recognize situations of crisis intervention. He has often strengthened his department’s ability to support people with mental illness who have come to the attention of law enforcement and helped adults and children get essential care, even while off duty.
Bartlesville Police Chief Roles is being honored for his leadership is creating mental illness training for some 60 officers as well as helping promote officer wellness. Through Chief Roles, community policing has been a priority. Officers are trained to recognize the signs of mental illness, determine the most appropriate response, and use de-escalation techniques that build on their skills and training.
“Both of these gentlemen are community partners in the truest sense of the word to tackle the issues facing law enforcement and mental health,” said Larry Smith, Chief Executive Officer at GLMHC. “Their missions and visions coincide with that of Grand Lake Mental Health to serve the public through their continued professionalism.”
The GLMHC law enforcement awards align with an on-going commitment to drive meaningful, measurable impact on mental health in Oklahoma’s smaller communities.
About GRAND Mental Health
GRAND Mental Health provides services for adults, children, adolescents, and families struggling with behavioral health issues, substance use issues, and integrated/medical needs in northeastern and north central Oklahoma. In business since 1979, GRAND Mental Health is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) providing evidence- based mental health and substance use services integrated with primary health care. Becoming a CCBHC has allowed GRAND Mental Health to hire wellness coaches, dieticians, occupational therapists, behavioral health coaches and peer recovery support specialists to provide a larger spectrum of services to clients. GRAND Mental Health operates 27 clinics and centers in 13 Oklahoma counties, employing more than 1,700 people. GRAND Mental Health strives to provide personalized care, anytime, anywhere. GRAND Mental Health works closely with and is partially funded by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.