When children experience a mental health crisis or other traumatic situation, a little comfort can go a long way. That’s where K9 Rye, a German Shorthaired Pointer with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), comes in. Since joining the force last April, K9 Rye has worked alongside Officer Phillip Mathis, helping bring a calming presence to challenging situations. Through a new partnership with Shadow Buddies, K9 Rye’s comfort can now continue to help children long after he & officers leave the scene.
Wyandot Behavioral Health Network’s mental health co-responders work closely with Officer Mathis, K9 Rye and the KCKPD CIT team, responding together to calls involving mental health and substance use crises.
Launched earlier this month, the Rye Shadow Buddy is a plush companion modeled after the real-life K9 Rye. CIT officers will have these buddies available to give to children they encounter during mental health and substance use crises and other traumatic situations, offering something soft to hold onto during an overwhelming experience.
“Rye has a unique ability to bring comfort, connection, and a sense of calm to people experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives,” says Officer Phillip Mathis. “Through the Rye Buddy Shadow Buddies partnership, our hope is to extend that comfort beyond the moments when Rye is physically present, giving children, families, and individuals in crisis a tangible reminder that they are not alone, that their community cares, and that hope can be found even in the hardest moments.”
