Cityscape

Detroit police get mental health partner to address 'a broken system'

December 15, 2020, 10:43 AM


The chief describes the $800,000 pilot program Monday. (Photo: City of Detroit)

Detroit is taking a small step to address one police reform movement goal -- handling mental health situations less aggressively.

A contract with the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, a social service agency, is announced as "a groundbreaking new partnership" to fix what Police Chief James Craig calls "a broken system" by adding behavioral health support for 911 staffers, officers and homeless outreach workers.

In a social media post Tuesday, the city describes this as "part of a behavioral health pilot program to bring additional behavioral health support to police officers, 911 call takers and homeless outreach workers when they encounter citizens experiencing mental health challenges." The post adds:

The Detroit Police Department responds to an average of 20 mental health-related 911 calls for service per day.

Approximately 70% of these runs are identified as violent. As a solution, a co-responding vehicle pairs a behavioral health specialist with mental health-trained officers.

Also starting in January, 911 calls will be connected to behavioral health specialists to address any underlying needs. The goal is to reduce 911 calls from high-utilizers in need of mental health services.

"When the mentally ill turn to the police as a response, the system is broken," Mayor Mike Duggan said at a Monday briefing with the chief, the Free Press reports.

Ninety dispatchers and call-takers will get 16 hours of training under the $800,000 agreement witrh the Detroit-based network, known until last year as the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority. The agency describes itself at "a healthcare safety net organization." 

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(Photo: Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network)

"This pilot [program] is more than just training," its president and CEO, Willie Brooks Jr., is quoted as saying. "It is a culture and community shift that bridges the gap between the law enforcement and behavioral health sectors."

A team of counselors and trained officers is operating in downtown Detroit and expands to the east side's 9th Precinct in January. Also next month, the 911 center will include network staffers to help identify mental health issues and transfer calls to crisis lines.



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