CALDWELL - Canyon County saw a record number of involuntary mental hold cases in July.
The Idaho Press Tribune reports that there were 123 such cases, a monthly record.
Police and medical personnel can initiate a mental hold if they're worried a person is a danger to themselves or others. A person is taken to an emergency room or a psychiatric hospital for evaluation and treatment. A judge has to be notified of such holds within 24 hours, triggering a case filing.
The rising numbers and costs of involuntary mental holds have prompted county officials, lawmakers and others to discuss bringing a state-funded behavior health crisis center to the county.
The Legislature has so far funded four crisis centers in different regions around the state. A crisis center is seen as a way to get people resources they need while keeping them away from emergency departments and courts.
