Grant for Capital Area Counseling Service
Film by Passenger Productions.
Capital Area Counseling Service (CACS) saves lives, preserves families and conserves government resources in a large geographic area in central South Dakota. Its new and effective approaches to mental health care provide citizens with evidence-based practices to improve their lives and reduce suicides.
CACS finds success in a multi-layer, strengths-based approach that helps people mitigate mental health and addiction problems to build healthier lives. Its Suicide Safe Care and Mobile Crisis Response services are community-driven solutions, proven to effectively and safely serve people in emotional crisis. The organization screens every person who comes to its center for their risk for suicide, offers urgent care through daily open access appointments to decrease waiting time for new clients, and provides 24/7 access to assist law enforcement and health care providers. With the recent downturn in the agricultural economy, CACS is doubling down on its service to farmers and ranchers, occupations at higher risk for suicide than military veterans.
CACS is a member of a unique task force comprised of patients, advocates, medical and mental health professionals, clergy, law enforcement, elected officials and educators who meet regularly to improve mental health care in their communities. With the task force, CACS plans to expand its work to identify and implement strategies to prevent gun violence in schools.
