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ALBANY, GA --
The Albany Area Community Service Board (AACSB) provides mental health, developmental disability, and addictive diseases services to eight Southwest Georgia counties.

In order for them to do their job to the fullest, officials with the organization say they rely heavily on local law enforcement agencies.

"We depend on them in assisting our therapist, in our community, with their safety, but also for getting (resisting patient) into our crisis stabilization unit," said Elizabeth McQueen, a Chief Clinical Officer.

Local law enforcement agencies say they too benefit from the relationship and that the AACSB is a great resource to help them better serve community members with certain needs.

Dougherty County Sheriff Kevin Sproul even feels some programs, like the new "Navigation Unit," which allows patients that are in the state of crisis to be seen immediately instead of waiting a few weeks, could even stop an individual from becoming violent; "the way I look at it, if they need that mental help at that time to deal with that issue and you don't deliver that service, when do they go over the edge?"

To say thanks for all they do, the AACSB invited local agencies for lunch and a tour of their Albany facility, which the Albany Fire Department took as a chance scope out the building.

"We can go ahead and formulate a game plan; so when we get here, we'll know the area we need to go to, what we're going to be looking for and what we're going to need to bring with us," said Albany Fire Department Battalion Chief Kelly Harcrow.

The AACSB said they plan on having officials out to their other locations around southwest Georgia to continue improving their service to the community.

Counties served are by the Albany Area Community Service Board include Terrell, Lee, Calhoun, Dougherty, Worth, Early, Baker and Miller.

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