ROCK SPRINGS — Members of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce will have a chance to hear from Gov. Mark Gordon next week when he visits the city.
Gordon will be at the chamber’s monthly luncheon at Santa Fe Southwest Grill Aug. 14 at noon. Gordon will speak about economic development and diversification, the state’s reimagining of K-12 education delivery, his administration’s statewide mental health initiative, and the Wyoming Innovative Partnership.
Regarding mental health, Gordon recently announced a grant of nearly $2.4 million from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to help the state’s law enforcement provide residents in crisis with around-the-clock access to behavioral healthcare through telehealth. The Virtual Crisis Care program equips law enforcement officers with tablets allowing them to call trained mental health experts to de-escalate, assess and stabilize people in a mental health crisis, such as depression of suicidal ideation. The pilot program is modeled after similar programs funded by the Helmsley trust in South Dakota and Nevada. Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said more than 80 percent of encounters result in the person staying in place with plans for follow-up care.
