Julie Pratt, right, of Burrell Behaviorial Health, gives Independence Deputy Police Chief Michelle Sumstad a tour of the criris center in eastern Independence. Officials say the center will divert some patients from of thje ER, connect them with needed services and reduce the time police officers spend on calls for service than involve mental-health issues. [Mike Genet/The Examiner]
By Mike Genet mike.genet@examiner.net When a police officer takes a citizen experiencing a mental health episode to a hospital emergency room, such a visit could…
