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[Community Health and Equity Committee Panel 1 ]
HEY, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.YOU ARE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE SPECIAL MEETINGS.
UH, AND THE SUBJECT MATTER FOR TODAY WILL BE MENTAL HEALTH.
UH, BEFORE I INTRODUCE TO YOU YOUR SPEAKERS, I WANTED Y'ALL TO, TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE ALSO SOMEONE THAT'S HELPING ON THE CITY SIDE TO TAKE NOTES AS YOU GIVE THEM.
UH, NATALIE OBINA, UH, SHE IS WITH THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, BUT SHE'S WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
SO, UH, NATALIA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
AND ALSO YOU HAVE JA RING KAHN, WHO IS ALSO WILL BE, UH, WORKING WITH US.
UH, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED TODAY ARE HERE AND WILL BE PROVIDED, UH, AT SOME POINT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS TO THE MAYOR AS WELL.
SO, I WANTED Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE, ACTUALLY, MR. MCCAREY, IF I COULD INTERRUPT FOR A SECOND.
CAN WE HAVE THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE? AND THEN I'LL JUST, I'LL ALSO SAY A FEW WORDS.
AND THEN WE CAN, UH, GO INTO THE ITEMS. THANK YOU.
I GOTTA GET NOT TO GET OUTTA TURN.
UM, ROLL CALL IS, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UH, BEFORE I HAND IT OVER TO MR. MCCAREY TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT TODAY'S ITEMS, I WANNA WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE MEETING A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR GUESTS WHO ARE, UH, COMING TO US FROM THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY AND ALSO FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
I'LL LET, UH, IN A SECOND, MR. MCCAREY WILL GO THROUGH WITH, WITH INTRODUCTIONS, UH, FOR THE SAKE OF CONTEXT, UH, FOR ANYBODY WATCHING.
AND AS A REMINDER TO OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, LAST SUMMER, MAYOR NUREMBERG CIRCULATED A MEMO REQUESTING THAT CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES, UH, PLAY A ROLE IN REVIEW OF OUR POLICING, OUR POLICING POLICIES, AS WELL AS OUR POLICING SERVICES.
IN PARTICULAR, UH, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND EQUITY COMMITTEE WAS CHARGED WITH REVIEWING BEST POLICING PRACTICES TO HELP PROMOTE RACE AND GENDER EQUITY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND A REVIEW OF MENTAL HEALTH DEESCALATION MEASURES.
IN RESPONSE TO THAT MEMO, OUR COMMITTEE IS HAVING A SERIES OF MEETING OF MEETINGS ON THIS TOPIC.
TODAY'S TOPICS ARE, OF COURSE, AROUND THE, UH, TOPIC OF MENTAL HEALTH, NOT JUST DEESCALATION, BUT IN TERMS OF RESPONSE TO, TO MENTAL HEALTH.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE FOCUSING MORE OR LESS ON CRISES, UH, TODAY.
IN ADDITION, I WANT TO, UH, REMIND YOU THAT THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH METRO HEALTH RIGHT NOW, DOING AN EVALUATION OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH, UH, SERVICES IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THIS COMMITTEE WILL RECEIVE A REPORT OR AN UPDATE ON THAT PROGRESS IN THE NEAR FUTURE AFTER WE'VE RECEIVED THAT REPORT, AND AFTER WE'VE GONE THROUGH OUR, OUR THREE PANEL MEETINGS, UH, WHICH ARE ALL ON YOUR CALENDAR, SCHEDULED FOR THIS MONDAY, NEXT MONDAY, AND THE MONDAY AFTER THAT, THIS COMMITTEE WILL AUTHOR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE IN THE FULL COUNCIL FOR REVIEW.
SO WE WILL BE PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS ON POLICING BASED ON WHAT WE HEAR FROM OUR SPEAKERS TODAY.
SO, UH, THAT IS WHY, UH, MR. MCCAREY HAS SOMEONE TAKING COPIOUS NOTES SO THAT THOSE WILL BE PROVIDED TO YOU, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF AFTER TODAY'S MEETING.
AND I URGE YOU, UH, TO, TO THINK ABOUT YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS AND TO START THINKING ABOUT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH TODAY'S CONVERSATION.
IN TERMS OF TIME, I'VE REQUESTED THAT EACH OF THE SPEAKERS, OR I'M REQUESTING NOW,
I KNOW THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT LONGER WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, SO IF IT'S OKAY, I'M GONNA GIVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT 12 MINUTES.
IS THAT ALL RIGHT? CAPTAIN FOX, I MEAN, SORRY.
UH, I BELIEVE JAHI WILL BE KEEPING TIME FOR US, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU ALL A TWO MINUTE WARNING.
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WILL THEN GO INTO COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS.EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WILL HAVE 10 MINUTES, FOUR QUESTIONS, AND IF THERE IS, UH, IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AFTER THAT, WE WILL, UH, COME BACK AROUND PROBABLY FIVE MINUTES.
SO THAT SHOULD TAKE US THROUGH OUR FULL TWO HOURS TODAY.
AT THIS POINT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. MCCAREY.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, BEGIN.
I DID WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT RIGHT AFTER, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF KAREN FOX SPEAKS, THEN WE'LL HAVE BENJAMIN DEBAKER, UH, CLINICAL CO-COORDINATOR, UH, FOR THE WHITE BIRD CLINIC.
UH, AFTER, UH, HE SPEAKS WE'LL HAVE SARAH HOGAN, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL STRIKE.
UH, AND THEN AFTER HER WILL BE FOLLOWED BY DOUG BEACH, BOARD CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF MENTAL ILLNESS.
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET, LET ME SAY THAT WE APPRECIATE THE INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE ON THE PANEL.
UH, WE'RE ALL HERE BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THE EXTREME IMPORTANCE OF THIS TOPIC, AND WE WANT TO DO ALL WE CAN TO SUPPORT, UH, TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS.
SO, THANK YOU CHAIR FOR INVITING US.
SO, A AS YOU ALL KNOW, CHIEF MCMANUS, UH, WAS APPOINTED TO SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S, UH, SAN ANTONIO POLICE, TE CHIEF IN 2006.
UH, WHEN HE FIRST ARRIVED, ONE OF HIS TOP PRIORITIES WAS MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE AND HOW OUR CITY, UH, AND I'M SORRY, HIS PRIORITY WAS MENTAL HEALTH AND HOW OUR OFFICERS WERE MEETING THE NEEDS OF CITIZENS, UH, SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS, UH, BEING THE VISIONARY AND THE FORWARD THINKER THAT HE IS, UH, CHIEF MCMANUS CREATED WHAT IS OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, UH, TODAY, UH, FOR HIS UNWAVERING SUPPORT, UM, FROM THOSE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS.
THE CHIEF HAS BEEN AWARDED THE, UH, ANNUAL VISIONARY AWARD FROM NAMI, UH, WHICH IS THE ORGANIZATION'S HIGHEST AWARD.
IN ADDITION, THE CHIEF RECEIVED THE SAM COCHRANE AWARD, WHICH RECOGNIZES EXEMPLARY WORK IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FOR IMPROVING THE FAIR AND HUMANE TREATMENT OF THOSE SUFFERING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
UH, SO THE CHIEF REALLY WAS, UH, A TRAILBLAZER WHEN IT CAME TO, UH, MENTAL HEALTH AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH.
AND BECAUSE OF HIM, UH, WE NOW HAVE THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND SO, LET ME JUST TOUCH BRIEFLY ON SOME OF THE RECOGNITION THAT OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT HAS RECEIVED.
UH, WE'VE BECOME A MODEL ACTUALLY FOR, UH, DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE GET PHONE CALLS, WE GET VISITS, UH, PRETTY FREQUENTLY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND HOW OTHER DEPARTMENTS WOULD LIKE TO EMULATE, UH, OUR SYSTEM.
AND WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE I A C P, WHICH IS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS CHIEFS OF POLICE, UH, THE NATIONAL LEAGUES OF CITIES, AND ALSO, UH, THE PRESIDENT'S ADVANCING 21ST CENTURY POLICING INITIATIVE.
UH, SO WE'VE BEEN NATION, WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, UH, FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM.
SO MANY MIGHT WONDER, UH, WHAT IS CRISIS INTERVENTION INTERVENTION TRAINING AND HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? UM, SO THIS REALLY IS A, IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY, A DESIGNED TO HELP POLICE OFFICERS HANDLE INCIDENTS INVOLVING PERSONS LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS OR THOSE SUFFERING FROM A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
SO, HOW, HOW, HOW DID CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING COME ABOUT? IN SEPTEMBER OF 1987, THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT ENCOUNTERED A MENTALLY ILL INDIVIDUAL BY THE NAME OF JOSEPH DWAYNE ROBINSON.
HE, UH, WHEN THE OFFICERS APPROACHED HIM, HE WAS HEARING VOICES, UM, DEFINITELY IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
UH, HE ENDED UP STABBING HIMSELF REPEATEDLY.
AND AT THAT TIME, IN 1988, UH, THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, AND REALLY NO OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENT KNEW
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HOW TO HANDLE CALLS INVOLVING, INVOLVING THOSE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.UM, MR. ROBINSON CAME AT THE OFFICERS WITH A KNIFE, AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, FEARING FOR THEIR LIVES, THEY ENDED UP SHOOTING AND KILLING MR. ROBINSON.
AND FROM THAT, UH, INCIDENT IN 1988, THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, CREATED THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING THAT WE ALL KNOW TODAY.
UH, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON HOW IT STARTED.
UH, IN 2003, THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, BEGAN TRAINING C I T.
AT THAT TIME, IT WAS 16 HOURS ONLY OF TRAINING.
UM, THEN IN, IN, LIKE I SAID, IN 2006, AS SOON AS CHIEF MCMANUS ARRIVED, HE RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE AND, AND HOW WE NEEDED TO DO MORE THAN 16 HOURS.
HE IMPLEMENTED THAT EVERY CADET, UM, GOING THROUGH THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE ACADEMY, UH, HE, HE IMPLEMENTED AND MANDATED THAT THEY RECEIVED 40 HOURS OF CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING, UM, WHICH WE HADN'T BEEN DOING BEFORE.
SO, UM, AND THAT WAS IN 2006, 2008, CHIEF MCMANUS CREATED THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT.
UM, AT THAT TIME IT WAS TWO OFFICERS, AND I'LL KIND OF TOUCH ON THAT BRIEFLY.
AND 2010, UH, CHIEF MCMANUS AGAIN RECOGNIZED THAT WE NEEDED TO DO MORE.
AND SO C I T WAS MANDATED FOR EVERY SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICER ON THE DEPARTMENT.
AND AT THAT TIME, WE WERE THE ONLY LARGE METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO HAD THAT MANDATE.
WE WERE THE ONLY ONES PROVIDING THAT TRAINING FOR THE ENTIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN THAT LAST BIT OF INFORMATION, I FIND IT INTERESTING.
IN 2018, UH, OUR STATE LICENSING AGENCY, WHICH IS T COLE, TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, FINALLY MANDATED 40 HOURS OF C C I T TRAINING FOR ALL OFFICERS.
SO WE WERE ACTUALLY EIGHT YEARS AHEAD AHEAD OF WHAT THE STATE, UM, HAD MANDATED.
SO, IN THE BEGINNING, UH, WHEN THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT WAS FIRST CREATED, IT WAS JUST THOSE OFFICERS TEACHING MENTAL HEALTH.
AND THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB WHEN IT CAME TO THE TACTICS PORTION, WHEN IT CAME TO, UH, HOW TO APPROACH, UM, AND THAT SORT OF THING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT POLICE DEPARTMENTS DO.
BUT WHEN WE, WHEN IT CAME TO US TRYING TO, UH, TEACH ABOUT, UM, THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SIDE OF THIS, AS FAR AS THE MENTAL ILLNESS ITSELF, UH, WE WERE KIND OF CLUELESS.
SO OVER THE YEARS, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM NOW THAT, UM, UH, THERE'S A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
AND SO NOW IT'S A COLLABORATION AND, UH, IT'S FANTASTIC.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO TEACH ABOUT THE TACTICS PORTION.
WE'RE ABLE TO TEACH ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, UH, NEED OFFICERS TO KNOW, HOW TO RECOGNIZE THOSE SUFFERING, UH, IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, WHAT TYPE OF CRISIS THEY MAY BE IN.
AND SO THE PROGRAM NOW IS, UH, MUCH BETTER THAN WHEN WE FIRST STARTED.
SO, THE UNIT MAKEUP, UH, CURRENTLY, UH, AS I SAID, IT STARTED OUT WITH TWO OFFICERS.
AND OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE AND, AND, AND GET MORE OFFICERS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 10 OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO THE UNIT, UH, SUPERVISED BY ONE SERGEANT.
UH, THE TEAMS WORK IN TWO PERSON TEAMS. THEY WEAR PLAIN CLOTHES, UH, SO THAT WHEN THEY DO RESPOND, UH, THE PERSON IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS DOESN'T SEE A UNIFORM, WHICH SOMETIMES IS AN ESCALATOR FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
THEY DRIVE UNMARKED EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
WE ALSO HAVE TWO DETECTIVES ASSIGNED TO THE UNIT, AND THEY ARE, UH, VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THE THREAT ASSESSMENTS AND FILING ANY CASES THAT WE MAY NEED WITH THE DA'S OFFICE.
WE ALSO HAVE THREE CIVILIAN, UH, CLINICIANS FROM CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES ASSIGNED, EMBEDDED WITH THE TEAM.
UH, THEY FOCUS ON HIGH UTILIZERS, THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE IN, UM, EXTREME NEED OF SERVICES.
AND THEN THEY ALSO, UH, PERFORM OUR FOLLOW-UPS.
IN 2018, UH, CHIEF MCMANUS, UH, MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT INTO OUR FUSION CENTER.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T, UH, AREN'T, AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE FUSION CENTER, IT IS OUR INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
THAT'S WHERE ALL THE INTELLIGENCE COMES IN.
IT'S SHARED, DISSEMINATED, UH, TO, TO ALL OTHER POLICE AGENCIES AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS.
BUT WE DID THIS TO PRO PROMOTE, PROMOTE THIS COORDINATION AND INFORMATION SHARING, UH, ON INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS AND ON POTENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, SAFETY ISSUES.
THEY ARE JUST, UH, AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART,
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UH, OF, OF THE UNIT ITSELF.UH, THE PURPOSE OF COURSE, OF, UH, CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING AND OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT IS TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY IN RESPONSE TO PERSONS WHO ARE MENTALLY ILL.
UH, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FOSTER TRUST BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THOSE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS AND THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS.
UH, WE'VE FORGED PARTNERSHIPS WITH NUMEROUS ADVOCACY AGENCIES TO HELP DEVELOP BEST PRACTICES.
UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY AND SUPPORT THE HIGH UTILIZERS AND THOSE WHO POSE A POTENTIAL RISK TO THE SAFE TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THEN, TWO, WE'RE ABLE TO ENHANCE OFFICER AND THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE THROUGH THE C I T TRAINING.
SO, THE T C I T TRAINING ITSELF, UH, THIS IS HOW THE HOURS ARE BROKEN DOWN.
UH, OF COURSE, WE GIVE THE 40 HOUR CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING TO ALL CADETS.
EVERY CADET WHO COMES THROUGH THE ACADEMY LEAVES WITHOUT 40 HOURS OF TRAINING.
OUR INCUMBENT OFFICERS, OR OUR VETERAN OFFICERS, RECEIVE EIGHT HOURS OF YEARLY IN SERVICE TRAINING.
UH, IN ADDITION, UH, THERE'S A 40 HOUR STATE MANDATED COURSE THAT ALL POLICE OFFICERS HAVE TO TAKE IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THEIR ADVANCED POLICE OFFICER'S LICENSE, WHICH IS THE NEXT LICENSE.
AFTER BEING A BASIC POLICE OFFICER, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO TAKE THAT COURSE, UH, TO, TO GO TO THAT NEXT STEP.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE 40 HOUR MENTAL HEALTH PEACE OFFICER COURSE, AND ALL OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE THIS PARTICULAR COURSE.
WE PROVIDE, UH, CRISIS COMMUNICATION TRAINING TO OUR DISPATCHERS AND OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS.
UH, OUR CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING, AS I MENTIONED, IS 40 HOUR TRAINING CLASS PRE COVID.
WE WERE DOING FOUR CLASSES A YEAR.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET RAMPED BACK UP SOON, UH, FROM MAY OF 2003 UNTIL JANUARY OF 2021.
WE'VE TRAINED ABOUT 3,100 SS A P D OFFICERS, 1800 BEAR COUNTY, AND OTHER, UH, OFFICERS FROM OTHER AGENCIES, UH, ABOUT 375, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT PARAMEDICS AND FIREFIGHTERS.
AND WE'VE TRAINED 72 DIFFERENT AGENCIES, UH, ALL OF OUR LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERS, UH, WHO'VE, WHO'VE REACHED OUT AND WANTED THAT TRAINING.
ANOTHER PART OF TRAINING THAT WE DO, WHICH IS REALLY CRITICAL, IT'S THE CHILDREN'S CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING.
AND THAT'S GEARED TO, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WHO, UM, DEAL WITH CHILDREN.
OUR SCHOOL RESPONSE, UH, RESOURCE OFFICERS, I'M SORRY, UM, MILITARY, US CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION HAVE PARTICIPATED AS A ANOTHER 40 HOUR TRAINING CLASS PRE COVID.
WE WERE DOING ABOUT TWO CLASSES A YEAR.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO PICK THAT UP AGAIN.
THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT CLASS.
AGAIN, WE PROVIDE THE 16, UH, HOURS OF TRAINING FOR OUR TELECOMMUNICATORS.
UH, WE USUALLY PRE COVID, WE KEEP SAYING THAT NINE TO 10 HOUR CLASSES PER YEAR.
AND, AND THIS IS FOR NOT JUST OUR TELECOMMUNICATORS, BUT ANY AGENCY WHO WANTS TO RECEIVE THAT TRAINING.
WE, WE TRAIN IN ACTIVE LISTENING.
UH, WE TRAIN IN THE BASICS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND THEN ALSO HOW TO DEAL WITH ANGRY CALLERS.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE S A P D, UM, CADET TRAINING, WHICH I MENTIONED WAS 40 HOURS.
I THINK WE'RE BEHIND, UH, ONE MORE.
SO IN 2020, WE, UM, BEGAN TEACHING OUR WEEKLY, UH, OUR IN-SERVICE EVERY WEEK, UH, TO THE INCUMBENT OFFICERS.
HI, I THINK WE'RE RUNNING SHORT ON, ON TIME.
SO I, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU ABOUT THREE, UH, THREE ADDITIONAL MIN, FIVE ADDITIONAL MINUTES.
I, I JUST DO HOPE, UH, I WAS REALLY HOPING WE WOULD HEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE FACING ON THE STREET, LIKE WHAT SORT OF DEMAND, UH, YOU'RE FACING.
AND I, I SEE IT'S IN SOME OF YOUR SUBSEQUENT SLIDES.
THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY WANNA HEAR FROM YOU.
SO REAL QUICK, LET ME JUST TELL YOU.
SO THE DUTY HOURS OF OUR, OF OUR UNIT IS, UH, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, FIVE TO FIVE, 7:00 AM TO 5:00 PM.
UH, WE GET OUR, WE GET A MAJORITY OF OUR CALLS, UH, THROUGH THE, OUR CAD SYSTEM.
AND, UH, OFFICERS REACH OUT, UH, IF THEY, IF THEY NEED HELP ON A PARTICULAR CALL.
AND, UH, 2020, UH, YOU SEE THERE, WE HAD JUST OVER 2000, UH, REQUESTS FROM OFFICERS AND SUPERVISORS
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FOR US TO RESPOND TO HELP.UM, WE RECEIVE, UH, REFERRALS FROM, FROM ALL KIND OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UH, OFFICER REFERRALS ARE BIG FOR US.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, ON ANY ONSITE ACTIVITY THAT OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, UM, HAPPENS TO COME ACROSS IN THE FIELD.
SO TWO VERY IMPORTANT PROGRAMS FOR OUR, UH, MENTAL HEALTH UNIT IS ONE, THE PICK PROGRAM.
MANY OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD BEFORE.
IT'S THE PROGRAM FOR INTENSIVE CARE COORDINATION.
THIS IS A COLLABORATION OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE TEAM, AND THEN THE C CLINICIANS, UH, WHO ARE ASSIGNED FROM THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
AND WHAT THIS TEAM DOES IS THEY HAVE, UM, PRIORITIZED OUTPATIENT SERVICES FOR, FOR, FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE IN DIRE NEED.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A HUNDRED, UH, HIGH UTILIZERS, UH, OF, UH, OF OUR SERVICES.
AND THE CRITERIA FOR THAT IS SIX OR MORE EDS IN A ONE YEAR PERIOD.
AND IT'S DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE EMERGENCY DETENTIONS AND THE INPATIENT SERVICES OF THOSE FOLKS.
AND SO WHAT THIS TEAM DOES, THEY MEET EVERY MORNING.
THEY DECIDE WHO OF THOSE 100, UH, HIGH UTILIZERS THEY NEED TO VISIT.
THEY GO OUT TO MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE.
THEY PROVIDE, UM, MEDICATION MANAGEMENT IF THEY NEED TRANSPORTATION TO GET MEDICINE OR TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS OR THAT KIND OF THING.
WE PROVIDE ALL OF THOSE SERVICES, UH, FOR, FOR EACH OF THOSE PATIENTS.
AND THIS COLLABORATION, OF COURSE, IS THE PD, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND STR.
AND THE FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM, UH, COMES THROUGH STRAC, BUT IT COMES FROM THE SOUTH TEXAS CRIME CRISIS COLLABORATIVE, WHICH IS A GROUP OF HOSPITAL SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, THE BAPTIST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM, UH, LAUREL RIDGE HEALTHCARE, UM, MENTAL CARE FACILITIES, UH, THEY PAY, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS CHRONIC CRISIS REHABILITATION, UH, INITIATIVE IS KIND OF THE FRONT END OF A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE, UH, FOLKS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS WHO ARE CONSTANTLY CALLING 9 1 1.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE FOLKS AND WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEIR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND, AND GET THEM TO, TO QUICK CALLING 9 1 1 AS MUCH, UH, BY PROVIDING THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED AHEAD OF TIME.
SO THIS THREAT ASSESSMENT TEAM WE CREATED IN 2018, AND THIS TEAM IS ACTUALLY, UM, MADE UP OF, YOU SEE ALL THE FOLKS THERE ON THE SCREEN.
IT'S, UH, OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
AND THE TEAM MEETS THREE TIMES A WEEK.
AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY ASSESS, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS.
UM, FOR THOSE DIAGNOSED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, THEY MAKE A DETERMINATION IF THAT INDIVIDUAL IS AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE PUBLIC.
AND IF WE NEED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION WITH THAT PERSON, OR IF THEY DON'T MEET THAT THRESHOLD, WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES, UH, THAT INDIVIDUAL MAY THEY POSSIBLY NEED.
AND THEN WE DO THE FOLLOW UP BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO, OUR OFFICERS, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WE'RE DEALING ON THE STREETS WITH, WITH MENTALLY ILL, UM, CITIZENS, THIS IS TYPICALLY WHAT WE SEE.
FOLKS WHO ARE BIPOLAR, THEY'RE SCHIZOPHRENIC, THEY'RE SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION, ANXIETY.
AND HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WE HAVE, UH, A LARGE NUMBER OF, OF INDIVIDUAL WITH, WITH P T S D.
AND SO WHAT WE ARE TEACHING AND WHAT WE ARE TRAINING ARE DEESCALATION SKILLS, UH, ACTIVE LISTENING, A NON-CONFRONTATIONAL APPROACH, UH, TO THESE FOLKS.
AND THEN WE TEACH HOW TO IDENTIFY ESCALATORS AND DEES ESCALATORS.
AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE OFFICERS STAY AWAY FROM THOSE THINGS THAT ARE GONNA ESCALATE THE INDIVIDUAL AND TRY REALLY HARD ON DEESCALATING THE SITUATION.
RECENTLY, THE CHIEF MCMAHON HAS ALSO RECOGNIZED A NEED TO ESTABLISH NEW POLICY ON HOW OFFICERS APPROACH MENTALLY ILL INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DISPLAYING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR.
AND FROM THAT, WE DEVELOPED THE ESCALATED MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CALL.
AND WHAT THAT IS, IS A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH WHERE, UM, WEAPONS ARE INVOLVED, OR VIOLENCE HAS OCCURRED OR IS OCCURRING.
AND THERE ARE CORROBORATING FACTORS THAT LEAD US TO BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A MENTAL HEALTH NEXUS TO THIS.
UH, THE POLICY NOW REQUIRES A PATROL SUPERVISOR RESPOND TO THE SCENE WITH PATROL OFFICERS MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, UH, RESPONDS AS WELL.
UH, AND WE DO THAT THROUGH 24 HOUR ON-CALL TEAMS, SINCE WE HAVE NO NIGHT SHIFT AT THIS POINT.
AND THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO, UH, LIMIT, UH, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THIS ENCOUNTER IS GOING TO ESCALATE FURTHER.
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WE HOPE TO PROVIDE A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE CALL.WE KNOW TIME IS ON OUR SIDE, AND SO WE DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO DEESCALATE THAT SITUATION.
SO, EMERGENCY DETENTION DETENTIONS ARE SOMETHING THAT WE DO QUITE OFTEN.
THEY'RE CIVIL IN NATURE, UH, OF COURSE.
UM, AND ONCE WE, THE STATE LAW GIVES POLICE OFFICERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THE AUTHORITY TO COMPLETE AN INVOLUNTARY EMERGENCY DETENTION.
BUT THERE'S CRITERIA THAT HAVE TO BE MET.
THE PERSON HAS TO BE, UH, A THREAT TO HIMSELF OR TO SOMEONE ELSE, OR THE OFFICER RECOGNIZES THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL'S IN SOME KIND OF MENTAL DECOMPOSITION.
UH, THEN ALSO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET A MENTAL HEALTH WARRANT, WHICH IS DONE AT THE COURTHOUSE.
THE BEAR COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH UNIT TEAM SERVES THAT WARRANT, THAT THAT PARTICULAR WARRANT.
AND THEN THIS IS ALSO FOR PERSONS WHO ARE NOT IN AN IMMEDIATE ENTER.
THESE ARE THE NUMBER OF EMERGENCY DETENTIONS THAT, UH, SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS PERFORMED, UH, FROM 2013 TO 2020.
YOU SEE ALLEGED THERE ON THE, ON THE SIDE OF THE SLIDE, THAT EVERY YEAR WE HAVE, UH, GONE UP IN THE NUMBER OF EMERGENCY DETENTIONS THAT WE HAVE PERFORMED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 2020.
WE ACTUALLY, UH, REDUCED THOSE, UH, FROM 2019.
AND THIS IS ACTUAL, THE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS THAT WE RECEIVED.
THOSE WERE THE EDSS THAT WE PERFORMED ON THE PREVIOUS SCREEN.
THESE ARE THE CALLS THAT S A P D RECEIVES, UH, FROM 2016 TO PRESENT.
UH, 2016 WAS WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE DEVELOPED THESE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, DISPATCH PROBLEM CODES SO WE COULD DIFFERENTIATE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CALLS.
UM, ONE, ONE THING THAT, THAT I WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS FOR 2020 WERE UP, BUT THE EDS DURING THAT YEAR, WERE DOWN FROM 2019.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT'S DUE TO, TO COVID NEXT SLIDE.
AND THESE ARE OUR PARTNER AGENCIES THAT, THAT, THAT WE, UH, ENGAGE WITH EVERY DAY.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, HOSPITALS, TREATMENT FACILITIES, RAC, THEY'RE NOT ON HERE, BUT THEY'RE BIG, UH, IMPORTANT, UH, SUPPORT FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH, BE COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH COURT, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, AND, UH, CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
AND I THINK WITH THAT CHAIR, I'M DONE.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON YOUR, YOUR SLIDES ARE, AND, UH, OUR, OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS DO HAVE A COPY OF, OF ALL OF THOSE.
SO, UM, THEY MAY BE ASKING YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT SOME OF THOSE DETAILS.
UH, NEXT IS, UM, WE HAVE A CAHOOTS CRISIS ASSISTANCE HELPING OUT IN THE STREETS.
AND WE HAVE MR. BENJAMIN BRUBAKER WITH US, UH, FROM OREGON, I BELIEVE, FROM EUGENE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
UM, SO I'M GONNA MOVE FAIRLY QUICKLY THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE LIMITED ON TIME, BUT, UH, SO CAHOOTS IS STANDS FOR CRISIS ASSISTANCE, HELPING OUT ON THE STREETS.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
IT WAS STARTED BY, UH, WHITEBIRD CLINIC.
YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, WHITEBIRD CLINIC IS THE UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION.
THIS IS JUST SOME OF, KIND OF OUR, OUR FOCUS OF PHILOSOPHY AND APPROACHES THAT WE TAKE, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR AGENCY.
UM, THAT KIND OF JUMPED A LITTLE BIT, UH, BASICALLY THAT OVERALL BR IT'S FINE.
UH, BASICALLY THE, THE OVERALL UMBRELLA.
UH, WE ARE A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER.
WE HAVE A MEDICAL CLINIC, DENTAL CLINIC, HOMELESS CASE MANAGEMENT, UH, PEER SUPPORT, UH, DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT.
BUT THE AGENCY STARTED OFF AS A CRISIS LINE 24 7.
UH, AND ABOUT 20 YEARS AFTER IT STARTED BACK IN THE LATE SIXTIES, WE WERE ALREADY DOING SOME MOBILE RESPONSE.
AND WE WERE ACTUALLY APPROACHED BY PUBLIC SAFETY HERE IN EUGENE TO TALK ABOUT, WELL, WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE TO FORMALIZE THAT MOBILE RESPONSE, TO BE A PART OF OUR NON-EMERGENCY DISPATCH SYSTEM AND BE DIRECTLY TIED INTO THE POLICE RADIO AND BE ABLE TO JUST ACTUALLY RESPOND TO SOME OF THESE CALLS THAT ARE NONVIOLENT, NON-CRIMINAL IN NATURE, AND REALLY MORE, UH, FOCUSED ON USUALLY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UH, ISSUES, SOME CRISIS AT TIME.
UM, SO BASICALLY WE STAFF EACH OF THOSE RESPONSE TEAMS. THEY RESPOND IN A VAN WITH A, UH, MENTAL HEALTH TRAINED PERSON, A CRISIS WORKER, AND AN E M T, AN E M T BASIC OR BETTER.
SO WE HAVE BOTH THAT KIND OF, UH, THAT HOLISTIC PERSPECTIVE OF A MEDICAL PERSON AND A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PERSON, UH, RESPONDING TOGETHER.
UM, NEW STAFF GO THROUGH OVER 500 HOURS OF FIELD TRAINING AND ABOUT 30 AND ABOUT 30 HOURS OF CLASSROOM TIME.
WE WEAR, YOU KNOW, T-SHIRTS AND A HOODIE BASICALLY, OR, OR SOMETHING VERY CASUAL.
UM, WE ARE A VOLUNTARY SERVICE, AND SO WE DON'T TAKE PEOPLE AGAINST THEIR WILL.
UM, BUT WE ALSO, UH, BECAUSE OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH WORKER STATUS, OUR
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MANDATORY REPORTERS.AND SO IF SOMEBODY IS A RISK TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS, WE DO GO AHEAD AND ASK FOR A, A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF RESPONSE WORKING WITH E M SS AND POLICE LOCALLY.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE LEAST AMOUNT OF INTERVENTION NECESSARY TO REALLY EMPOWER THAT INDIVIDUAL, UM, TO GET THEM INTO TREATMENT OR GET THEM LINKED UP WITH THEIR P C P OR WHATEVER THAT THING IS THAT'S GONNA HELP THEM MOVE TO THE, INTO, IN A BETTER DIRECTION.
SOMETIMES THAT'S JUST VERBAL DEESCALATION AND CRISIS INTERVENTION IN THE FIELD, AND THEN CONNECTING THEM WITH SERVICES AND REFERRALS AFTERWARDS.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, I THINK WE'RE MOVING REALLY QUICKLY.
I THINK THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE POWERPOINT THAT YOU ALL HAVE ON YOUR END.
UM, THE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM THOUGH COMES PRIMARILY THROUGH THE CITY OF EUGENE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET HERE IN EUGENE, OREGON.
UM, AND THAT WAS, UH, IT'S BEEN IN THAT BUDGET UNDERNEATH THE, UH, E P D POLICE BUDGET FOR 30 YEARS.
UH, WE RUN NOW 24 7 IN EUGENE WITH ONE VAN PLUS ANOTHER VAN THAT COMES ON WITH SOME OVERLAP TIME.
DURING THAT TIME, JUST IN EUGENE AND THEN OUR SIER CITY SPRINGFIELD, WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO TAP SOME MONIES COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE THROUGH THE COUNTY, UM, THAT NOW FUND THAT PROGRAM 24 7.
UM, SO WE HAVE TWO VANS RUNNING IN OUR EUGENE SPRINGFIELD METRO AREA 24 7 DAY.
UH, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS LIKE THE TOTAL COST.
HERE'S SOME OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, SERVICES THAT WE ARE, UM, PROVIDE.
AND AGAIN, UH, CRISIS COUNSELING, SUICIDE PREVENTION.
UM, A LOT OF OUR PRO OUR RESPONSES ARE WELFARE CHECKS.
UH, WE DEFINITELY SAW IN MY TIME ON CAHOOTS THE GROWTH OF WHAT WE CALL THE CELL PHONE SAMARITAN, WHICH IS THE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT SOMEBODY SLEEPING ON THE SIDEWALK, BUT DOESN'T STOP TO EVEN SEE IF THEY'RE OKAY.
UM, AND WE DO A HIGH AMOUNT OF THAT KIND OF WELFARE CHECKING TO SEE HOW PEOPLE ARE DOING, BUT ALSO LIKE SOMEBODY'S WORRIED ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBOR OR, OR WHO'S ACT WHO'S BEEN ACTING STRANGELY OR OUT OF SORTS, OR SOMEBODY'S BEEN POSTING OR MAKING KIND OF SUICIDAL THREATS.
AND WE'LL GO CHECK ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF A LIST OF SOME OF THE OTHER KINDS OF RESPONSES WE DO.
SO AGAIN, THOSE REQUESTS COME IN THROUGH THE POLICE NON-EMERGENCY LINE, UM, INTO OUR 9 1 1 DISPATCH CENTER.
IT'S ALL HOUSED KIND OF IN THE SAME PLACE.
SO IT SOMETIMES CAN COME IN INITIALLY EVEN AS AN, UH, THROUGH A NINE ONE ONE CALL TO E M S OR, OR POLICE.
BUT OFTENTIMES JUST THROUGH THE NON-EMERGENCY LINE, THE DISPATCHER THEN TRIAGES THOSE CALLS.
AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH DISPATCH, USUALLY QUARTERLY TO REVIEW THOSE PROTOCOLS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IN LINE WITH THE KINDS OF RESPONSES THAT ARE BOTH KEEPING OUR FOLKS SAFE, UM, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE WE'RE GETTING OUT THERE TO THE RIGHT TYPE OF CALLS.
AND THEN THE TEAMS ARE THEN DISPATCHED VIA RADIO ON NINE PRIORITY POLICE CHANNELS.
UM, WITH THAT DISPATCH PIECE, THINGS LIKE, UH, SELF-HARM.
SO SOMEBODY THAT'S CUTTING ON THEMSELVES AS A COPING SKILL, UM, THAT INVOLVES THEN A BLADE.
AND WE FOUND THAT WE WERE HAVING, UH, A LOT OF POLICE FIRST RESPONSES BEING SENT TO THOSE CALLS.
AND WE ACTUALLY WENT IN WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS, TALKED WITH DISPATCH AND WITH SOME OF THE WATCH COMMAND, AND WE'RE ABLE TO SAY, LOOK, THAT WE DON'T SEE THAT AS THE SAME LETHALITY RISK.
THIS PERSON REALLY ISN'T TRYING TO KILL THEMSELVES.
UM, THIS IS REALLY JUST A MALADAPTIVE COPING SKILL.
WE'RE REALLY WILLING TO RESPOND, TELL THEM TO PUT THE BLADE AWAY, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'LL RESPOND TO THOSE TYPES OF CALLS.
NOW, AGAIN, IF IT'S AN ACTIVE THREAT OF VIOLENCE, UM, THAT WILL NOT BE A CAHOOTS FIRST RESPONSE.
BUT MANY OF OUR CALLS ARE ACTUALLY WHAT WE CALL E P D OR E M S, UH, ASSISTS, WHERE WE WILL COME IN AND ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE OFFICERS OR E M S WRAPPING UP AND BEING ABLE TO STEP AWAY FROM A CALL ONCE THE SCENE IS SECURE AND THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SAFE AND THAT WE CAN HANDLE THE CALL WITH OUR LEVEL OF INTERVENTION.
AND AGAIN, THIS JUST KIND OF SHOWS HOW THAT FLOW OF THOSE CALLS KIND OF COMES IN.
AND THEN IDEALLY, ONCE WE'RE ON SCENE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL, WE'RE GONNA AGAIN, DEESCALATE, ASSESS THE SITUATION, UH, TALK WITH THE INDIVIDUAL FOR A WHILE, OFFER REFERRALS.
SOMETIMES WE'LL EVEN HANDLE DOING REFERRALS WHILE WE'RE IN THE FIELD AND ACTUALLY CALL THE INDIVIDUAL'S PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER AND SEE IF THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN GET THEM INTO A NEXT DAY APPOINTMENT OR CALL ONE OF THE SERVICE PROVIDERS.
OR WE, IN ALL OF OUR VANS THERE, YOU SEE KIND OF IN THE BACKGROUND, WE HAVE A TRANSPORT CABINET AND CAN TAKE INDIVIDUALS TO OPEN SERVICES TO ACTUALLY BRING THEM AND DO A WARM HANDOFF RIGHT TO THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, OR TO THE INDIVIDUAL AGENCY.
WE DO DO TRANSPORTS THOUGH TO THE ED.
WE DIVERT AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT AT TIMES THAT IS WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL NEEDS TO GO, EITHER BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUE.
AND WE WILL TRANSPORT THE INDIVIDUAL THERE, DO A WARM HANDOFF, UM, AND BE ABLE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, DO A TRANSFER OF CARE TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THEIR NEEDS, HOPEFULLY GETTING THAT, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND THIS KIND OF JUST TALKS ABOUT LIKE OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE, UH, OVERALL
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COMING INTO JUST THE EUGENE SIDE, THE NUMBER THAT INVOLVED A T'S RESPONSE.UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE IS THAT AN, AN AWFUL LOT OF THE CALLS THAT WE, UH, THAT WE DO END UP HAVING TO CALL PD FOR COVER, UH, ARE USUALLY MORE AROUND, UH, POTENTIALLY HAVING TO DO A HOLD ON THAT INDIVIDUAL.
UM, BECAUSE THEY, THEY WERE UNWILLING TO GO VOLUNTARILY WITH US, AND THERE WAS A CLEAR RISK TO SELL FOR OTHERS.
UM, BUT SOME OF THOSE CALLS ALSO INCLUDE SOMEBODY BEING AGGRESSIVE WITH US.
A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THOSE, USUALLY THOSE WE'VE SEEN.
AND THIS TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THAT DIVERSION THAT I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE WE'RE, WE HAVE A TRAINED MEDIC ON, WE CAN DO SOME PRIMARY ASSESSMENTS AND BASIC WOUND CARE, HELP THEM FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR MEDICATION MANAGEMENT ISSUES ARE.
UM, REALLY BE ABLE TO TRY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE IDEALLY IN THE FIELD, BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT A LOT OF FOLKS, UH, OVER ACCESS EMERGENCY ROOM DEPARTMENTS FOR SERVICES AND REALLY DON'T GET THEIR NEEDS MET.
THEY JUST KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE SEEN FOR WHATEVER THE ONE REPORTING ISSUE IS, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY BACK OUT ON THE STREETS OR BACK OUT INTO THEIR RESIDENTS AND THEN RIGHT BACK INTO THE ED THE NEXT DAY.
UM, FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WE SEE REALLY GOING THROUGH THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, OUR TEAM WILL STAFF THOSE INDIVIDUALS INTERNALLY.
AND THEN WE GO TO A NUMBER OF MEETINGS ACROSS THE, OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY TO HELP REALLY MAKE SURE THAT, UH, ALL THE HUMAN SERVICE PROVIDERS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL AND SOMEBODY IS REALLY CASE MANAGING, WORKING WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL.
DO A LOT OF THAT KIND OF ADVOCACY PREP ADVOCACY FOR OUR CLIENTS.
GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AGAIN, THIS TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GEL DIVERSION.
WE DON'T HAVE GOOD DATA ON GEL DIVERSION BECAUSE WE'VE JUST ALWAYS KNOWN THAT THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
UM, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING MORE PROGRAMS SPIN UP SIMILAR TO THE GOZ MODEL THAT WILL REALLY HELP US GET A BETTER HANDLE ON THE GEL DIVERSION.
I CAN SAY THAT I WORKED ON THE COZ FAN FOR OVER A DECADE, AND I, AND I WOULD SAY EVERY SINGLE SHIFT I WORKED, WE DIVERTED AT LEAST ONE PERSON FROM THE JAIL AND AT LEAST ONE PERSON FROM THE EP EVERY SHIFT, USUALLY MULTIPLE TIMES.
UM, LIKE A LOT OF THAT DATA IS, AGAIN, KIND OF TRYING TO LOOK INTO THE FUTURE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT THAT INDIVIDUAL MIGHT HAVE DONE IF WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE.
UM, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT, THAT WITH A LOT OF THESE KINDS OF CALLS, THEY COULD END UP GOING TO JAIL IF WE DIDN'T HAVE SOME ALTERNATIVES FOR THEM.
AND THIS IS WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, SOME OF THAT PATIENT ADVOCACY PIECE, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT BODIES THAT WE HAVE HERE THAT DEAL WITH THAT OF REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS, UM, SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS PRESENTER, FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY FREQUENT SYSTEM UTILIZERS ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GET THEIR NEEDS MET SO THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST GOING THROUGH
NEXT SLIDE FOR WORKER SAFETY, UH, WE REALLY DO FOCUS ON SEEING AWARENESS, REALLY MAKING SURE WE WORK AGAIN ON THOSE PARTNERED TEAMS, UM, STAY IN RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH DISPATCH SO THAT THEY KNOW OUR LOCATION AND, AND, AND COME, UH, TO OUR ASSISTANCE IF NEEDED.
UH, AND REALLY FOCUS A LOT ON THAT VERBAL DEESCALATION.
GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, AND THEN I WILL NOTE THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT CRISES GOING ON IN ANY, UH, IN ANY AREA.
WE'VE HEARD FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, THAT THEY ARE TIRED OF BEING THE DEFACTO MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE THAT THEY'RE TIRED OF BEING THE ONLY RESPONSE OUT THERE FOR FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UH, AND WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH E P D TO ACTUALLY TRY TO WORK ON THINGS LIKE, UH, FINDING PEOPLE, EVEN TEMPORARY SHELTERS.
THIS IS A TEMPORARY SHELTER THAT'S BEEN BUILT IN RA'S CALLED A CONESTOGA HUTT, UH, AND WORK REALLY HARD TO FIND RESPITE SHELTERS OR, OR CONESTOGA HUT KIND OF PLACEMENTS FOR A LOT OF OUR FOLKS THAT, AGAIN, THAT THEY'RE NOT OVERUTILIZING, UH, LOCAL POLICE RESPONSE AND, AND ENDING UP NOT GETTING THEIR NEEDS THAT, UM, WITH ANY AREA WE REALLY RECOMMEND LOOKING AT WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER NEEDS? YOU HAVE A SOBERING CENTER THAT'S NON, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE HAVE THAT IN OUR AREA THAT HELPS US A LOT WITH A LOT OF OUR PUBLIC INTOXICATION CALLS.
WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THEM TO A HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY THAT CAN DO SOBERING AND GET THEM INTO DETOX AND NEXT STEPS TO TREATMENT, UM, THOSE KINDS OF NEEDS.
ANY KIND OF CRISIS TEAM YOU HAVE OUT THERE IS GONNA START REALLY BECOMING AWARE OF WHERE THE, UH, HOLES ARE IN YOUR SAFETY NET.
AND THEN THIS JUST TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONSULTING WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING, UH, WITH REALLY GOING OUT THERE AND DOING STAKEHOLDER PRESENTATIONS, TRYING TO HELP OTHERS UNDERSTAND HOW THIS MODEL WORKS.
WE REALLY ARE ADVOCATING FOR A THIRD PARTY, UH, OUTSIDE GROUP TO BE A PART OF THIS NETWORK.
UM, BECAUSE WE REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT THAT'S KINDA THE BEST WAY TO FOCUS THIS KIND OF HUMAN SERVICE RESPONSE OUT THERE AS WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO APPROACH PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, UH, PRE, PRE COVID, WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO BRING OUT FOLKS FROM DENVER WHO ENDED UP STARTING THE STAR PROGRAM OUT THERE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY GIVE THEM RIDE ALONGS ON THE CODES SPAN TO SEE THE WORK AND HOW THE DISPATCH WAS WORKING AND THE KIND OF RESPONSE WE WERE DOING.
AND THEN ALSO DID SOME CLASSWORK AND SOME, UM, UH, MEETING WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS HERE ON THE GROUND.
I HOPE TO GET BACK TO THAT SOMEDAY IN A POST COVID ENVIRONMENT.
UM, BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE TALK ABOUT CAHOOTS, UNTIL YOU REALLY SEE THE
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ACTUAL ON THE GROUND FUNCTION NOW THAT IT'S REALLY HARD TO KIND OF DESCRIBE.AND THEN THAT'S JUST HOW TO GET AHOLD OF US.
SO THAT WAS A CRASH COURSE IN THE CAHOOTS PROGRAM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR ALL'S QUESTIONS, UH, LATER.
I, I HOPE THAT THAT KIND OF CAPTURED A LOT OF THE KIND OF RESPONSE THAT THAT OFFERS.
UM, WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT A COOKIE CUTTER APPROACH AND THAT EACH COMMUNITY IS GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THEIR CURRENT RESOURCES ARE AND WHAT CAN BE BUILT INTO THAT.
UM, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ROOM IN A LOT OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSE SYSTEMS FOR THIS KIND OF HUMAN SERVICE-BASED RESPONSE, UM, WHERE, UH, UNIFORMED OFFICERS AREN'T NECESSARY.
YOU DID A GREAT JOB WITH THE SURPRISE THAT WE DID ON YOU WITH THE, WITH THE SLIDES.
WE JUST JUMBLED THEM ALL UP AND, UH, YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
SO WE'LL BE DOING THE SAME FOR SARAH HOGAN.
ARE YOU READY? HOPEFULLY NOT, SARAH.
HOPEFULLY THAT ONE IS
RIGHT, WHILE THE SLIDES GET PULLED UP, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
UM, WE'RE REALLY, UM, EXCITED TO BE ON THE PANEL WITH OUR POLICE, UH, PARTNERS AS WELL AS, UM, BEN WITH CAHOOTS AND OUR, OUR NAMI PARTNERS AS WELL.
UM, I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON, UM, STR AS AN ORGANIZATION.
UM, I THINK THAT THE COMMITTEE IS PROBABLY FAIRLY FAMILIAR, UM, AND WE PLAY DIFFERENT ROLES IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT TODAY I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON THE, ON THE REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL'S ROLE IN MENTAL HEALTH.
AND SO THE SOUTHWEST TEXAS CRISIS COLLABORATIVE IS THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIVISION OF STRAC.
UH, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A LITTLE OVER FOUR YEARS NOW, GOING INTO OUR FIFTH YEAR OF DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS GONNA GIVE YOU A QUICK, UM, OVERVIEW OF WHO STRAC IS.
AGAIN, I WON'T SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME HERE.
UM, BUT STR AT ITS CORE IS THE REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL THAT COVERS 22 COUNTIES, UM, ACTUALLY IN THE SOUTHWEST TEXAS RE REGION.
UM, THERE ARE 22 IN THE STATE, UM, YOU CAN SEE THERE AS FAR AS THE PARTNERING AGENCIES FROM E M S TO AIR MEDICAL PROVIDERS.
UM, OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, UM, OUR TWO LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTERS AND, UH, FAIRLY NEW TO, UH, TO THE RAC WAS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AGAIN, UM, BACK STARTING IN 2017.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WE'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK BACKGROUND ON HOW THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DIVISION WAS CREATED.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, I THINK IT TIES INTO SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE SUPPORT, UM, THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS LOOKING TO DO.
UM, WITH THE MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE, UM, BACK STARTING IN 2015, WE HAD MULTIPLE STUDIES, UM, AND DATA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH AND, UM, 9 1 1 CALLS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH ACTUALLY DROVE OUR DIVISION TO BE CREATED AND, AND START, UM, LOCALLY FUNDING AND SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, SO THE FIRST, UH, REAL INTERESTING, UM, SLIDE, IT'LL BE ON THE NEXT, UM, YOU GO, UM, WE HAD OVER 9,000 EMERGENCY DETENTIONS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY ANNUALLY.
AND THIS WAS, UM, AGAIN, 20 15, 20 16.
UH, WE LEARNED THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE THAT, UH, WORKS UNDER THE STRAC UMBRELLA THAT ABOUT HALF OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS REALLY ONLY NEEDED A MEDICAL SCREENING EVALUATION AND WERE ABLE TO BE TRANSFERRED DIRECTLY TO PSYCHIATRIC CARE.
SO ESSENTIALLY THEY WERE A PATIENT IN A MENTAL HEALTH, UH, CRISIS AND NOT, UM, UM, UM, MEDICAL, UH, EMERGENCY.
SO REALLY, UM, THEY WERE KIND OF BEING, UM, DIRECTED IN.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT A SAN ANTONIO OR A SOUTHWEST TEXAS, UM, PROBLEM.
UH, RATHER AN A NATIONAL PROBLEM AS FAR AS INDIVIDUALS IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN THE, IN THE ER.
AND SO WE SAW THAT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO WHERE, UM, INDIVIDUALS WERE, UM, IN THE ER ANYWHERE FROM, UM, A COUPLE HOURS TO SEVERAL DAYS AWAITING TRANSFER TO THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF CARE.
UM, SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT OBVIOUSLY GENERATED A LOT OF MOMENTUM AROUND, UM, A FOCUSED EFFORT ON HOW TO ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM.
KIND OF AT THE SAME TIME, ABOUT 2016, THERE WAS A STUDY, UH, DONE, UH, WITH TRINITY UNIVERSITY SEMESTER'S LEVEL STUDENTS TAKING A LOOK AT THAT CAMPUS.
UM, AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE KEY FINDINGS WAS THAT HAVEN FOR HOPE WAS THE NUMBER 1 9 1 1 SPOT FOR 9 1 1 CALLS.
UM, AND SO, UH, GIVEN ALL THE RESOURCES THERE, THERE WERE STILL LOTS OF CALLS COMING TO THAT CAMPUS, UH, FOR, UM, FROM INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE OUR 9 1 1 SYSTEM.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS GONNA GIVE A QUICK VIEW INTO THE ORIGINAL, UH, MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH, UH, POLICY INSTITUTE STUDY THAT WAS DONE IN 2015.
UH, I THINK THE REPORT CAME OUT IN 2016.
UM, THIS WAS COMMISSIONED BY, UH, METHODIST HEALTHCARE MINISTRIES, UM, WHERE THEY TOOK A LOOK AT OUR SYSTEM AND NOTICED THAT WE HAD POCKETS OF
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OUR SYSTEM THAT WERE, UH, FOCUSED ON CERTAIN AREAS.BUT YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT, UH, BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE THAT WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT REALLY WASN'T, UH, UH, COMMUNICATING OR COLLABORATING ACROSS, UM, EACH, UH, EACH AREA.
AND SO IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A PUZZLE, UH, A PUZZLE THAT'S REALLY NOT PUT TOGETHER.
UM, SO YOU HAVE KIND OF THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT THERE.
YOU HAVE, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU HAVE ALL THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS THERE, E M S STRS, UH, THERE IN THE MIDDLE, UM, AND BIT OF THE MIX.
OUR HOMELESS PROVIDERS, AGAIN, UM, NOT A VERY STREAMLINED EFFORT AND COMMUNICATION AROUND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES.
SO THEIR RECOMMENDATION, UH, WAS TO CREATE A CROSS PAYER EFFORT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE INDIVIDUALS AT THEIR HIGHEST UTILIZATION.
SO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ACCESSING THE SYSTEM IN MULTIPLE ENTRY POINTS, UH, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH THE JAIL, UM, HOSPITAL SYSTEMS 9 1 1, UH, THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INPATIENT CARE.
AND SO, UH, WE WORK TO DO JUST THAT, UM, THAT A CRISIS COLLABORATIVE.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, IT WAS ACTUALLY, AND WE'LL, WE'LL JUST GO TO THE NEXT ONE 'CAUSE IT KIND OF GIVES THE, UH, THE WHOLE PICTURE THERE.
UM, BUT IT REALLY WASN'T UNTIL, UM, WE HAD SOME, UH, DATA ANALYSTS COME IN TO THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY TAKE A LOOK AND GIVE US SOME HARD NUMBERS.
WE HAD A LOT OF ANECDOTAL INFORMATION REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, BUT WE, UH, WORKED WITH CAPITAL HEALTHCARE PLANNING, WHO'S A DATA ANALYTICS TEAM OUT OF HOUSTON THAT, UM, COMPLETED A SAFETY NET STUDY ON OUR, UM, SAFETY NET IN SAN ANTONIO.
LITTLE OVER 313,000 INDIVIDUALS, UM, WERE, UM, ACCOUNTING FOR OVER, UH, 1 MILLION ENCOUNTERS, UM, IN THE HEALTHCARE, UH, SYSTEM.
AND SO THAT WAS AT ABOUT $1.1 BILLION IN HEALTHCARE COST.
AND SO WE DRILLED IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER WITH THAT TEAM AND, UM, IDENTIFIED A, UM, VERY UNIQUE POPULATION BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH, HOMELESSNESS AND HIGH UTILIZATION.
UH, VERY SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS.
UM, 3,500 ACTUALLY THAT WERE CONSIDERED TO BE SUPER UTILIZERS OF THE SYSTEM.
WERE ACCOUNTING FOR A LITTLE OVER 62,000 ENCOUNTERS, AND THEN 175 MILLION AGAIN, UM, IN HUTTON HEALTHCARE COST, UM, THAT YEAR THAT WE DO REFRESH THIS DATA EVERY YEAR.
BUT THAT WAS KIND OF THE DRIVER THAT GAVE US, UH, THE, THE URGE TO, UM, CREATE A DIVISION AND, AND START, UH, MAKING THINGS HAPPEN AROUND MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, SO THESE ARE OUR, OUR ENGAGED SYSTEMS. HERE YOU CAN SEE, UM, ANYWHERE FROM FREESTANDING, UM, PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES LIKE LAUREL RIDGE TO, UM, METHODIST HEALTHCARE MINISTRIES, PHILANTHROPY TO MAJOR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS. UM, NAMI IS OBVIOUSLY A PARTNER OF OURS, THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES PUBLIC SAFETY, BOTH SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, VARA COUNTY SHERIFF, UM, SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT, ALL WORKING TOGETHER, UH, TO TRY TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT.
UM, WE DO HAVE A, UH, STEERING COMMITTEE THAT IS COMPRISED OF MANY OF THESE, UM, LISTED HERE TO INCLUDE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, IN BEAR COUNTY, THAT ARE, UM, NOT ONLY SUPPORTING THE STRATEGIC EFFORT, UH, AROUND WHAT THE COLLABORATIVE IS DOING, BUT ALSO, UM, SUPPORTING FINANCIALLY, UM, THE, UM, IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES THAT COME UP AS WE CONTINUE TO, UM, UNCOVER GAPS IN THE SYSTEM.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'M JUST GONNA DO A QUICK OVERVIEW OF A COUPLE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE CAME OUT OF THE, UH, COLLABORATIVE THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE.
UM, WE DO HAVE ABOUT 15 PLUS PROGRAMS. I'M JUST GONNA COVER, COVER A FEW 'CAUSE I KNOW I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT NAVIGATION WAS ACTUALLY OUR FIRST PROGRAM.
UM, THAT WAS STARTED IN 20, THE FALL OF 2017, WHERE WE PILOTED WITH SS A P D, UM, AND THEN FULLY ROLLED OUT IN 2018 WITH OVER 34 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MEDICALLY STABLE IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, UM, IN LAW ENFORCEMENT CUSTODY, AND, UM, ROUTE THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO THE CLOSEST, MOST APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE DO THAT THROUGH OUR DISPATCH CENTER, UM, CALLED MEDCOM.
YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
UM, MEDCOM AT ITS CORE HAS BEEN, UH, AROUND FOR, UM, DECADES FACILITATING TRAUMA TRANSFERS, ENSURING THAT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN NEED OF THAT LEVEL OF CARE ARE, UM, ARE, ARE, UM, COORDINATED TO THAT, THAT, UH, PARTICULAR HOSPITAL.
UH, WE USE THAT FOUNDATION TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE PATIENTS IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, UH, WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, SO YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN READ THIS, UM, ON YOUR PACKETS, BUT THIS IS ALL OF OUR, UH, FACILITIES THAT HAVE EITHER INPATIENT OR EXTENDED OBSERVATION, UH, TYPE CAPABILITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS IN A PSYCHIATRIC CRISIS.
UM, AND THEY'RE REPORTING THEIR OPEN AND DIVERT STATUS AROUND THEIR BED CAPACITY AT ANY
[00:50:01]
GIVEN TIME IN THE COMMUNITY.MEDCOM USES THIS TO MONITOR WHO IS OPEN, UM, AND WHO IS NOT TO BE ABLE TO GET THE OFFICER AND THE PATIENT TO THE CLOSEST FACILITY, UM, IN REAL TIME.
AND SO THERE'S A LITTLE, I THINK THERE'S 11, UM, THAT ARE ON THIS LIST HERE THAT, UM, REPORT INTO THAT, UM, 24 7 NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK KIND OF, UH, STEP-BY-STEP HOW IT WORKS.
A A NINE ONE ONE CALL HAPPENS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, IF IT IS MENTAL HEALTH RELATED, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO SEE IN THE COMPUTER AID DISPATCH, UH, SYSTEM IN MEDCOM.
WE MONITOR THAT CALL TO SEE IF AN EMERGENCY DETENTION DOES OCCUR AND THE OFFICER NEEDS TO TAKE THE PATIENT, UH, TO THE CLOSEST APPROPRIATE FACILITY.
WE TAKE SOME INFORMATION, MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE PATIENT IS SCREENED MEDICALLY, UM, FOLLOWING THE MEDICAL STABILITY PROTOCOL THAT WAS CREATED.
AND THEN WE NAVIGATE THE OFFICER.
UM, WE LET THE FACILITY KNOW THAT THE OFFICER'S ON THE WAY SO THAT THEY ARE THERE TO RECEIVE, UH, THEM IN A TIMELY MANNER SO THAT THEY'RE IN AND OUT.
AND THE PATIENT, UM, IS ASSESSED FAIRLY QUICKLY.
A COUPLE OF SLIDES, I THINK NEXT WILL SHOW SOME QUICK DATA POINTS.
MEDCOM TRACKED OVER 20,000 CASES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE ORANGE CIRCLE THERE.
UM, ABOUT 58% OR CLOSE TO 12,000 OF THOSE WERE IN ACTUAL NAVIGATIONS TO A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY.
UM, WE HAD VERY, VERY FEW THAT WERE, UM, ENDED UP NEEDING TO GO TO JAIL.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN 1% THERE.
THE BOTTOM PART OF THE PIE SHOWS HOW MANY, UM, INDIVIDUALS ARE EITHER WALKING IN OR BROUGHT BY E M S TO A HOSPITAL AND THEN END UP NEEDING AN EMERGENCY DETENTION.
THOSE ARE NOT NAVIGATED, OBVIOUSLY.
THOSE ARE A DIFFERENT MODE OF ARRIVAL, UM, WHICH WE ARE LOOKING TO ADDRESS IN OTHER PROGRAMMING.
UM, WE WERE ACTUALLY DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE TRACKED THAT CAME THROUGH, BUT OUR PERCENTAGE IS UP AS FAR AS NAVIGATIONS THAT WE ARE COMPLETING TO, UH, UH, THE CLOSEST APPROPRIATE PSYCH FACILITIES.
UH, WE SAW, UM, CLOSE TO 11,500 IN 2020.
AGAIN, I THINK THERE WERE SOME, UH, COVID IMPACTS TO THIS NUMBER AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, BREEZING THROUGH HERE.
SO I THINK THIS NEXT, UH, THIS NEXT SLIDE IS, UM, GOING TO BE RELATED TO OUR, UM, MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED.
ONE OF THOSE BEING I WILL REALLY FOCUS ON THE SMART PROGRAM, UH, SINCE THAT HASN'T BEEN DISCUSSED.
I KNOW PIC AND, UM, C S I HAS BEEN MENTIONED ALREADY WITH S AD'S PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT SMART IS, UM, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UM, IS A BEXAR COUNTY SUPPORTED PROGRAM THAT ACTUALLY WAS DEVELOPED IN OCTOBER OF 2020.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY CREATING PROTOCOLS AND, UM, LEARNING LOTS FROM PEOPLE LIKE, UH, BEN WITH CAHOOTS.
UM, BUT IT IS TITLED THE SPECIALIZED MULTIDISCIPLINARY ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE TEAM.
UM, AND THIS TEAM, IT WAS CREATED TO, UH, BETTER, UH, RESPOND TO 9 1 1 CALLS HAPPENING IN THE COUNTY.
UM, LOW, LOW, NON-VIOLENT MENTAL HEALTH RELATED ISSUES, UM, THAT COULD BE BETTER SERVED BY A NON-RESPONDER MODEL, UH, TO INCLUDE A LICENSED CLINICIAN, A UH, PARAMEDIC, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, BEAR COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH UNIT IN CASE, UH, THERE WAS A NEED FOR THAT SERVICE AS WELL.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE'S GOING TO SHOW THE PARTNERSHIP WITH ACADIAN AMBULANCE, UH, THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, BE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, OFFICE, AND THEN, UM, STRAC, UM, BEING THE BACKBONE AND SUPPORTING THIS TEAM.
UM, THE, THE GOALS ARE REALLY TO JUST, UM, RESPOND TO, UH, TO THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE CRISIS, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE RIGHT TEAM AT THE FOREFRONT.
SO INSTEAD OF GETTING YOUR, UH, TYPICAL, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE, UH, THE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, THAT CLINICAL TEAM OUT THERE, SOMEBODY THAT'S TRAINED IN MENTAL HEALTH, UM, TO BE ABLE TO DEESCALATE AND THEN PROVIDE NOT ONLY DE THE DEESCALATION, BUT THE CONNECTION TO ONGOING OUTPATIENT CARE.
SO, SOME OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF THIS PROGRAM IS, UM, WE'VE CONNECTED, UM, A FOLLOW-UP TEAM.
SO WE HAVE A PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST AS WELL AS, UM, OTHER CARE MANAGERS THAT CAN CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE INDIVIDUAL AFTER THE NINE ONE ONE CALL AND THE ORIGINAL ENCOUNTER TO CONNECT TO SERVICES, UH, FOR ONGOING CARE.
'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THOSE, UM, ARE LIKELY NEEDED AFTER SOMEONE'S IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
UM, REAL QUICK, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS A VERY DETAILED PROCESS AS FAR AS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN THE CALL COMES IN.
UM, BUT YOU GUYS, UM, CAN KIND OF GLEAN FROM THAT, UH, HOW THE PROCESS WORKS.
UM, NEXT SLIDE WILL BE THE DATA AROUND IT.
AGAIN, IT'S A VERY, VERY NEW PROGRAM.
WE'VE HAD 231 CALLS FOR SERVICE, AND THIS IS FROM THE DATES OF OCTOBER 5TH THROUGH MARCH 12TH.
UM, WE HAD 157 OF THOSE CALLS THAT WERE, UH, THE TEAM ARRIVED ON SCENE AND THEN WE HAD 74 THAT WERE CANCELED.
UH, THE CANCELED REASONS WE ARE WORKING ON, UH, WITH BEAR COUNTY AND OUR PARTNERS, UM, SO THAT, UH, WE CAN BETTER IDENTIFYING AND CLOSE THE GAP WITH THOSE.
UM, THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES IN BEING ABLE TO RESPOND,
[00:55:01]
UM, IN THE COUNTY.IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT, UH, LONGER FOR THE TEAM TO GET OUT IF THEY'RE HAVING, NEEDING TO GO ACROSS TOWN.
SO WE WOULDN'T WANNA DELAY A RESPONSE IN ANY WAY.
UH, SO YOU SEE SOME, UH, CANCELED, UM, REASONS THERE.
UM, A LOT OF OUR, UM, CALLS ARE BEING RESOLVED ON SCENE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE GREEN, 64 OF THOSE, OF THE 2 31 42 ARE RESULTING IN EMERGENCY DETENTION, WHERE, UM, THEY ARE NAVIGATED THROUGH THAT SYSTEM THAT I ACTUALLY SPOKE ABOUT BRIEFLY THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT NAVIGATION.
AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER, UM, DISPOSITIONS THERE THAT YOU CAN SEE AS FAR AS, UM, UH, AN AMBULANCE TRANSPORT IF IT'S A MEDICAL PATIENT OR IF A PATIENT'S VOLUNTARILY GOING IN FOR TREATMENT.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS ON THIS SLIDE IS THERE WERE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO ARREST, UM, AND NO USE OF FORCE, UH, SO FAR IN ANY OF THESE CONTACTS.
UM, HOPING TO CONTINUE THAT, UM, AS WE DEVELOP, UH, THE PROGRAM AND, UH, GET THE TEAM, UH, ADDITIONAL TRAINING AS THEY NEED IT.
I KNOW MY TIME WAS, UH, CLICKING, UH, COMING UP ON THERE, SO
UM, THE NEXT SLIDES ARE ACTUALLY, UM, JUST MORE DETAIL INTO WHAT, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF, UH, FOX WAS TALKING ABOUT RELATED TO THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH THE PICC PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE C C S I EFFORT.
UH, SO IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ON THOSE, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT AS WE, UM, END THE MEETING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, SARAH, AND, UH, NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, DOUG BEACH WITH, UH, NAMI.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE DOUG HAS SLIDES, I THINK HE'S GOING TO TELL US, IS GOING TO TALK TO US FOR A LITTLE.
MINE IS JUST A NARRATIVE, AND WHEN I TALK TO YOUR OFFICE, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WANTED TO HEAR WAS, UH, FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH C I T AND WITH, UH, UH, CRISIS SITUATIONS.
AND, UH, I'M, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF NAMI, AS WE SAID EARLIER, THAT'S NA, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS.
DOUG, I'M SORRY, YOUR VIDEO'S OUT RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW WE COULD SEE YOU EARLIER RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED.
HANG ON, LET ME, UM, LET ME FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
OKAY, MIKE, IT SAYS, CAN YOU SEE ME NOW? NO.
UM, IT JUST LOOKED LIKE YOUR LE MAYBE YOUR LENS.
UM, ANYWAY, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS, AND WE ARE A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION, FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IMPACTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING TO ME, AS YOU'VE HEARD, UM, SEVERAL PEOPLE TALK FROM KIND OF A, KIND OF A SYSTEMIC STANDPOINT, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, IN THE GRASS, UH, DOWN AT GROUND LEVEL, EXCUSE ME.
SO MY EXPERIENCE IS A, AS A PARENT WITH A, UH, NOW A 43 YEAR OLD SON WHO HAS A HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS THAT BEGAN IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WENT THROUGH A KIND OF A GRADUAL DECLINE, UH, OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS.
BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INSTRUCTIVE IS WE TALK A LOT ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING, UH, WITH, UH, HIGH UTILIZERS AND A SMALL, VERY SMALL POPULATION.
SO TWO QUESTIONS IS HOW DID THOSE PEOPLE GET TO THAT POINT? WHAT HAPPENED UPSTREAM? AND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO ON UPSTREAM IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, YOU NEVER SEE, YOU DON'T HEAR ABOUT, BUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND THEIR MENTAL ILLNESS THAT'S GOING UNTREATED, UH, OR UNCARED FOR, AND THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT I WANTED TO TO MENTION TODAY.
SO, 50% OF MENTAL ILLNESS BEGINS BY AGE 14, 75% BY AGE 24.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TELLS YOU REAL QUICKLY IS ONE OF THE POPULATIONS WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT AND CONCERNED ABOUT ARE YOUNG ADULTS AND OUR YOUTH.
AND THE FIRST, UH, THE FIRST INTERACTION IN OUR CASE WITH POLICE BEGAN WHEN OUR SON WAS ARRESTED IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION.
SEVERAL MORE ARRESTS FOLLOWED OVER THE YEARS.
AND AT THE FIRST, AT THE TIME OF THE FIRST ARREST, THERE WAS NO, UH, DIAGNOSIS.
AND THAT'S VERY, THAT'S MOST OFTEN THE CASE.
IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, FAMILIES DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.
AND IT WASN'T REALLY UNTIL, UH, OUR SON WAS IN HIS EARLY THIRTIES THAT WE FELT THE NEED TO CALL A C I T OFFICER.
AND WE LEARNED ABOUT C I T THROUGH OUR NAMI CLASSES IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THIS, UH, AS A FAMILY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT CALLING C I T WAS ONE OF THE FEW OPTIONS WE HAD SINCE OUR SON DIDN'T BELIEVE HE HAD A MENTAL ILLNESS OR A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
AND, BUT WE WERE CONCERNED AT THE TIME THAT HE MIGHT BE AT RISK.
[01:00:01]
CAME UP WITH A PLAN.AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT WORKING WITH THE C I T OFFICERS, THE PEOPLE IN THAT UNIT IS ONE OF THE, UH, IT, IT WAS, THEY'RE AMAZING.
THE GUYS THAT ARE IN THE UNIT, THE 10 FULL TIME, UH, OFFICERS THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET, UH, THEY'RE GREAT.
AND THAT'S A UNIVERSAL IMPRESSION, I THINK, UH, BY PEOPLE ACROSS SAN ANTONIO AND THOSE THAT I KNOW WITH NAMI.
UH, ONE OF THE KEY POINTS IS THAT THERE WERE KEY TIMES DURING THIS 10 YEAR PERIOD WHEN OUR SON WAS OPEN TO GETTING HELP.
UH, BUT INSTEAD OF NO WRONG DOOR, IT WAS HARD TO FIND A RIGHT DOOR FOR HIM TO GET HELP.
AND TOO OFTEN THESE INTERACTIONS WITH POLICE, UH, ARE, AND WE TALK, I CALL 'EM, UH, YOU KNOW, DOING STUPID STUFF.
SO IT COULD BE, UH, IT'S JUST POOR JUDGMENT, LACK OF MATURITY, NOT THINKING CLEARLY, AND THEY END UP HAVING AN ALTERCATION AND END UP, UH, GOING THROUGH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
SO, CALLING C I T IS REALLY A MOMENT OF DESPERATION FOR ANY FAMILY THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH THAT.
AND IT CHANGES, YOU KNOW, IT CHANGES THE PERSON THAT, UH, THAT NEEDS THE HELP.
IT CHANGES THE FAMILY, IT CHANGES ALL THE DYNAMICS.
UM, SO LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A FEW LESSONS THAT I THINK WE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY THAT MAY HELP.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S AWFULLY IMPORTANT TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THE PROBLEM EARLY, EARLY INTERVENTION GO UPSTREAM.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK SARAH AND THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON, IS HOW DO WE GET UPSTREAM AND ELIMINATE, UH, THE CALLS, UH, THAT HAVE TO GO TO C I T WHEN C I T IS CALLED OUT, WE NEED FOR THEM TO DO A GOOD JOB, BUT WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO THERE.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHY DO WE WAIT FOR A CRISIS JUST ABOUT ANY TIME THAT C I T IS CALLED OUT FOR A FAMILY THAT'S, UM, THAT'S EXPERIENCING A DIFFICULTY, UH, THAT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THERE WAS A CLUE.
I MEAN, ANYTIME I SEE A SHOOTING, I SEE A, UH, AN ALTERCATION WITH SOMEBODY THAT HAS A MENTAL ILLNESS.
UH, THOSE BEHAVIORS WERE SEEN BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND COMMUNITY AND SCHOOLS THAT, UH, IS, IS NOT A BIG SURPRISE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO HOW DO WE GET TO THIS POINT WHERE THE, WHERE THE BEST OPTION WAS TO CALL C I T? SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO GIVE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OPTIONS, WAYS TO REACH OUT FOR HELP FOR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, THERE'S A BILL IN, UH, THE LEGISLATURE RIGHT NOW ABOUT GIVING COUNSELING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE SCHOOLS, DOING THROUGH COLLABORATION.
UM, WE NEED MORE PLACES TO GO FOR WELLNESS CHECKS WHEN PEOPLE JUST AREN'T, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT FEELING STABLE.
MAYBE THEY'VE BEEN ON SOME MEDICATION, UH, BUT THEY'RE NOT FEELING GREAT.
AND THE NOW CLINIC THAT THE UT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER IS, IS STANDING UP THE NOW CLINIC IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE DONE IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP AVOID THESE CRISES.
UH, WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE MUCH BROADER PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SUPPORT FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
AND I THINK THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, THERE'S BEEN A HEIGHTENED AWARENESS ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES LIKE WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
UH, IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, WE STARTED A PROGRAM WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I SAY WE, NAMI AND SEVERAL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BRIDGES TO CARE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH FAITH COMMUNITIES TO HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE IN THOSE, UH, CHURCHES AND CONGREGATIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND, AND GET THEM TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
AND WE'VE HAD OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO THAT.
UM, WE NEED TO PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES AND OPTIONS FOR IN THE COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT PRIOR TO A CRISIS LIKE THE SAN ANTONIO CLUBHOUSE, UH, AND I JUST MENTIONED THE NOW CLINIC, WE NEED MORE TEAMS. WE HAVE, IF YOU SAW THE STATISTICS OR THE NUMBERS THAT, UM, DEPUTY CHIEF FA SHOWED, WE HAVE 10, UH, C I T OFFICERS.
THAT'S FIVE UNITS WORKING SEVEN TO FIVE IN A CITY, THE SIZE OF BEAR COUNTY, IN THE CITY SIZE OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE NEED MORE TEAMS OF PEOPLE ON CALL.
WE NEED BETTER COVERAGE, AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT UTILIZING TALENT LIKE SARAH'S TALKING ABOUT PEER SPECIALISTS, CASEWORKERS, UH, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ALONG WITH OUR POLICE OFFICERS.
[01:05:01]
ABOUT THE, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT, UH, THAT CREATE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE DEGRADE, WHEN THEY DECOMPOSE OR DECOMPENSATE.AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOK AT IS, YOU KNOW, JUST ISSUES LIKE DIET, EXERCISE, SOCIALIZATION, AVOIDING RISKY, UH, BEHAVIORS, STRESS, ALL THOSE THINGS, UH, ESPECIALLY AFFECT YOUNGER PEOPLE.
BUT THE MORE WE CAN LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH AS A HOLISTIC ISSUE, THE BETTER THE OUTCOMES ARE GONNA BE, AND THE LESS IS LESS COSTLY IS GONNA BE FOR US.
UH, IN VERY, IN, UH, HARRIS COUNTY, THEY, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'VE DONE IS THEY'VE COMBINED HARRIS COUNTY AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, C I T PROGRAMS. SO SARAH JUST TALKED ABOUT THE SMART TEAMS, AND IT'S REALLY A, IT'S A GREAT START, WONDERFUL PROGRAMS. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO ANAMI FAMILY, UH, HOW THIS IS GONNA WORK, WELL, THE COUNTY RESPONDS THIS WAY, THE CITY RESPONDS THIS WAY, THAT'S NOT GOOD MESSAGING OR COMMUNICATION WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO SEE IS A MORE COORDINATED RESPONSE OVERALL PROGRAM BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY.
HOUSTON'S DONE IT, IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
I SENT A REPORT OVER TO YOUR OFFICE, UH, BEFORE THIS, UH, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, LOOK AT IN, UH, IN BEAR COUNTY IN SAN ANTONIO.
UH, ONE, UH, LAST POINT, AND THIS HAS COME UP, UH, IN SOME OF THE MEETINGS WE'VE HAD WITH, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND I'M ALSO, I'M ON THE JOINT COMMITTEE FOR ACCESS IN FORENSICS IN AUSTIN, AND I CHAIR THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COMMITTEE AT TEXAS H H SS.
BUT WE, WE, WE WANNA LOOK AT BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN.
AND WE WANT TO REMEMBER THAT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ALSO AFF AFFECT, AFFECT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
NOT ONLY ARE THEY BEING PUT IN VERY STRESSFUL, UH, SITUATIONS AND CALLED ON TO DO SOME REALLY DIFFICULT WORK, BUT MANY OF THEM MAY COME WITH THEIR OWN ISSUES THAT THEY NEED, UH, ONGOING CARE, COUNSELING, SUPPORT GROUPS.
AND WHAT I HEAR IS THAT TOO MANY OFFICERS ARE AFRAID TO SAY THAT THEY NEED SUPPORT.
WELL, THAT'S NOT A VERY GOOD MODEL IF WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT BETTER COMMUNITY HEALTH.
SO IT'S NOT JUST, UM, PEOPLE, IT'S NOT JUST, UH, 2,500 HIGH UTILIZERS.
IT'S OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY IN A, IN A COUNTY THE SIZE OF BEXAR COUNTY, UH, 7% OF OUR POPULATION HAS A SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS THAT'S 140,000 PEOPLE.
AND ONE IN FOUR PEOPLE WILL HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR.
THAT'S 200,000 PEOPLE, 500,000 PEOPLE IN BEXAR COUNTY.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE WORK THAT, UH, UH, SARAH AND HER GROUP HAVE DONE HAS BEEN WONDERFUL.
IT'S BEGUN TO HELP QUANTIFY THE PROBLEMS AND SHOW US THE, THE COST.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DRILL DOWN PAST THAT AND USE SOME OF THE LESSONS WE'RE LEARNING, MOVE UPSTREAM, GET IT, GET HELP FOR PEOPLE EARLIER.
AND, UH, WE ALL NEED TO BE IN THIS TOGETHER.
I THINK YOU'VE GIVEN US A LOT OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT IN IN THIS CONVERSATION.
I WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR, OUR SPEAKERS TODAY.
UH, ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE MANY, MANY QUESTIONS AND, AND COMMENTS.
UH, SO, UH, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, AND LET THEM, UH, LET THEM GO AHEAD AND BEGIN.
I, I DO HAVE SOME VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, BUT THEY, THEY MIGHT ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, UH, THEMSELVES.
SO, UH, WE'LL GO IN NUMERICAL ORDER OF COUNCIL DISTRICTS, IF THAT'S OKAY.
UH, WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN TRIVI.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR HOSTING TONIGHT'S MEETING.
THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A, A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC, AND I, I THINK WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM ALL THE SPEAKERS IS THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A VERY SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH CRISES IN, IN OUR, IN OUR CITY.
AND, UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WANNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO, UH, WHAT, WHAT DOUG BEACH JUST SAID WAS SO IMPORTANT.
WE NEED A MORE COORDINATED RESPONSE.
UM, FIRST LEMME JUST THANK, UH, OUR, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR, FOR HAVING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THIS PROGRAM AVAILABLE.
I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT TO HAVE FOR, FOR, UH, I, HOWEVER, I
[01:10:02]
I GUESS, AM I, AM I STILL THERE? SHARE, YES, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE LOSING YOUR AUDIO A LITTLE BIT.I'M ON, WE CAN HEAR YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, I, I THINK MAYBE YOU'LL WANNA FOLLOW IN.
UM, IT'S WHAT I GET FOR PAYING THE REDUCED CABLE BILL.
UM, IN ANY CASE, UH, I THOUGHT
UM, SO MY, MY POINT IS, IS THAT, UM, I, I FIRST ACTUALLY WANT TO ASK ABOUT WHERE D H S IS IN ALL THIS.
I, I HEARD NO MENTIONS OF OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AND I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES LOOK LIKE? UH, I THINK DEPUTY CHIEF, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE MUTED.
OR IS THAT A QUESTION FOR, UH, I THINK MARIA AND ERIC ARE ALSO ON, IF THEY WANTED TO HEAR THAT QUESTION.
WELL, UM, SOME MEMBERS, I'M NOT SURE IF I'M CONNECTING, BUT ANY CASE, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, MARIA IS GOING TO TAKE YOUR, YOUR QUESTION CHAIR.
I THINK I'M GONNA HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MY CONNECTION STATUS IS AND ASK TO CHIME BACK IN.
JOIN US IN A LITTLE BIT, MARIA, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND HOLD ON THAT SO THAT HE CAN HEAR YOUR RESPONSE AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO COUNCILWOMAN ANDREW SULLIVAN.
SO THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, UM, ARE ALL OVER PLACE PERMISSION.
UM, I DON'T TO ASK, YOU KNOW, GUIDELINES PREVENT FROM REALLY ANY FORM OF DETAILED INFORMATION, COUNCILWOMAN ON, UM, EITHER THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE, I'M SORRY, WE, WE MISSED EVERYTHING YOU SAID.
COULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? WE'RE GONNA TRY IT ONCE MORE.
UH, WE DIDN'T DO MIC CHECKS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUST FOR THE SPEAKERS.
OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU, YES.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS ABOUT, UM, HIP ABOUT OR HIPA
AND IF THERE IS A WAY, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE MILITARY VETERANS THAT HAVE P T SS D OR HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH COMBAT SYNDROME, TO HAVE SOME FORM OF, OF EITHER A SEAL ON THEIR HOME OR ON THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE, THAT COULD THEN, UM, RELATE TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE A FORM OF A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, OR I WON'T SAY CRISIS, BUT A MENTAL HEALTH, UM, DIAGNOSIS.
WELL, I'M NOT SURE COUNCIL WOMAN WHO THAT'S DIRECTED TO, IF THAT'S TO THE POLICE, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS WOULD HAVE TO INITIATE.
AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN DO, WOULD'VE TO COME THROUGH THE STATE.
IF THERE IS, OH, I DON'T, SOMEBODY WAS TALKING, OR DID I MISS IT? OKAY.
SO DEPUTY CHIEF, IF THERE IS A SYSTEM OR A BILL THAT IS WRITTEN TO HELP WITH THAT, DO YOU THINK THAT THAT WOULD HELP WITH THE, UM, WAY THAT DEESCALATION IS CARRIED OUT, OR THE WAY THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY SEND OUT THE PROPER UNIT FOR A CALL THAT COMES IN FOR A PERSON THAT IS IN CRISIS? IF WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE A MORE COORDINATED FORM OF CARE, COUNCILMAN, UM, THIS IS MARIA MAY, WHAT I CAN OFFER THAT COULD BE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS COMMITTEE THAT WE CAN BRING TO PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE FOR, FOR FURTHER REVIEW.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN EXPLORE SOME ALTERNATIVES THAT WE CAN BRING BACK TO, TO THIS COMMITTEE.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, JUST WANTED TO ASK, HOW DO YOU USE THE PREVALENCE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH DATA TO SET GOALS FOR THE WORK THAT IS DONE? AND IF POSSIBLE, WHAT ARE THOSE GOALS? AND THIS IS TO THE DEPUTY CHIEF?
[01:15:05]
SURE.WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE, WE CONSTANTLY, UH, MEASURE EVERYTHING THAT WE DO HERE.
CALLS FOR SERVICE, THE NUMBER OF EDS, UH, THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, THE WAY THAT WE USE THAT IS TO DETERMINE MAYBE RESOURCES, UH, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO, UM, UM, HOURS OF THE DAY, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR, OUR ESCALATED MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, WHICH NOW REQUIRES THAT OUR MENTAL HEALTH DETAIL BE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.
SO WE USE THAT METRICS WITH THOSE CALLS TO DETERMINE THE HOURS THAT, THAT THOSE TEAMS ARE WORKING.
UM, SO, SO, SO WE USE A DA DATA, UH, FOR, FOR RESOURCE PURPOSES, IF THAT WAS, IF THAT'S A QUESTION THAT YOU'RE ASKING.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THE SCALE, UM, WHAT IS THE SCALE OF NEED THAT IS IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, AND HOW DO YOU SET THE GOALS TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT? COUNCILWOMAN, IF I MAY, JUST REAL QUICK.
I THINK THE WORK THAT THIS TRACK HAS DONE IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT SARAH PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF THE NUMBER OF HIGH UTILIZERS, UM, AND WORKING WITH THE CITY, WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO REDUCE THOSE INDIVIDUALS OF GOING TO THE HOSPITALS CONSTANTLY AND RATHER PROVIDING THEM WITH MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE.
THAT'S HOW THAT DATA WAS UTILIZED TO BE ABLE TO SET, UM, SOME GOALS TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS BEING TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, UH, WHEN THEY NEEDED SOME ASSISTANCE ON, ON MENTAL HEALTH.
SO THAT'S HOW WE'VE USED THE DATA AND, AND, AND THE, THE BIG WE IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT MORE WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH STRAT.
AND THEN WHAT ARE THE INEQUITIES THAT WE'VE OBSERVED WITHIN, UH, USING THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT? IF, IF IT, UH, MARIA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD HER QUESTION.
SHE ASKED WHAT INEQUITIES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED? UH, AND I IMAGINE YOU MEAN HEALTH INEQUITIES, RIGHT? AS FAR AS, UM, WHEN YOU'RE GOING OUT FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE INEQUITIES? ARE WE SEEING THAT THERE'S JUST NOT NO MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS WITHIN THE VICINITY OF WHERE WE CAN TAKE INDIVIDUALS? IS IT A LONG TRAVEL ROUTE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT IS IN CRISIS? UM, DO THEY, IS THERE A, A DIGITAL DIVIDE OR WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE INEQUITIES THAT WE'RE SEEING AS WE'RE GOING OUT TO THESE CALLS? MARIA, DO YOU MIND IF I ANSWER THAT? SO, SO THANK YOU.
SO YOU, SO YOU, UM, YOU, YOU NAILED ONE OF THE BIG ANSWERS THAT THERE'S NOT ALWAYS ENOUGH SPACE, ENOUGH BEDS, UH, TO, TO, TO AVAILABLE FOR, FOR WHAT WE NEED.
UH, THAT, THAT IS A BIG INEQUITY, UM, PROBABLY ON THE TOP OF THE LIST AS A, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SPACE.
I KNOW MY TIME HAS EXPIRED, SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PRESENTED.
UM, AND, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CAHOOTS.
I KNOW THAT THAT IS AN, UH, AREA THAT WE COULD DEFINITELY START TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE, THE RESOLVE IN THIS.
AND, AND IF YOU DO HAVE, UH, FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, YOU ARE, YOU ARE WELCOME TO, TO CHIME IN AGAIN ONCE WE GO AROUND.
UM, SORRY, I KNOW THE COUNCILMAN HAS, HAS JOINED US, AND WE'LL GO BACK TO HIM IN JUST A SECOND.
UH, BUT, BUT BEFORE WE DO, I DID WANNA SORT OF SET THE CONTEXT AGAIN AND, AND REMIND THE, THE COMMITTEE WHERE, WHERE WE'RE HOPING TO, UM, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO EVALUATE, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT THE MAYOR'S MEMO TO US WAS PREMISED ON ARE WE SENDING BADGES AND WEAPONS WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY NEEDED AND WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE, RIGHT? ARE THERE, ARE THERE OTHER RESPONDER MODELS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH CRISES? AND THEN I WOULD ALSO ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS OR POSSIBLY A SUBSTANCE ABUSE CRISIS, OR POSSIBLY A HOMELESSNESS CRISIS, WHERE WE ARE SENDING OUR POLICE RIGHT NOW, ARE WE DOING RIGHT BY THEM WITH THE MODEL THAT WE'RE USING? AND DO YOU THINK THERE'S, UH, SOME TWEAKING OR SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO WITH THAT MODEL? AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT TODAY'S PANEL WAS, WHAT I WAS HOPING TO, TO GET AT WITH TODAY'S PANEL AND WHAT
[01:20:01]
THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT, THAT WE WANT TO HEAR.NOW I'LL ALSO ADMIT THAT MR. BEACH WITH NAMI HAS RAISED SOME WONDERFUL QUESTIONS, AND SO HAS, UM, SO HAS BEN AT, AT CAHOOTS ABOUT STUFF OUTSIDE OF JUST THAT MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE MODEL, RIGHT? UH, DO WE HAVE OTHER SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN PLACE? WHAT'S HAPPENING UPSTREAM? AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO ALL OF IT TODAY, UH, BUT PLEASE KEEP THOSE THOUGHTS IN MIND BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE, WE WILL STILL FILL THIS IN, FEED THIS TO OUR, TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
WE'LL HAVE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, AND IT WILL BE INFLUENCED BY OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT I THINK WE ALWAYS HAVE THAT DRIVE AMONG US TO DO SOMETHING BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE REPRESENT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO IT DOESN'T END WITH THIS, UH, WITH THIS BUDGET YEAR AND WITH THIS CONVERSATION.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO, TO COUNCILMAN TRIVINIA.
THANK YOU ALL FOR INDULGING ME WITH THAT.
I'M, I'M ON MY PHONE NOW, SO I HOPE THAT IS MORE STABLE.
UH, UH, SO IN FACT, I THINK EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID IS, IS, IS SPOT ON.
AND KIND OF WHAT I WAS, I WAS KIND OF DRIVING AT IN, IN MY, MY COMMENTS, WHICH WAS ASKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE'S OUR D H SS PARTNERSHIP? I ASKED THAT BECAUSE, UH, I FEEL THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THESE, UM, THESE THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, SORT OF, UH, LOGICALLY CONNECT TO EACH OTHER.
UM, THE, THE, THE TRAINING THAT HAS OCCURRED, UH, I THINK IS, IS, IS A VERY GOOD THING AND IS, IS HAS BEEN RECEIVED AS A, AS A, UH, NATIONAL MODEL THAT MANY POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE ADOPTED.
UH, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I'M WONDERING, AND WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED IS THAT THE, THE, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS, AND WE'VE EXTENDED THE OUTREACH EFFORTS THROUGH D H SS, UH, THAT, THAT I THINK CAN BENEFIT US IN SO MANY WAYS.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND OR, OR HEAR, UH, ABOUT WAYS THAT, THAT WE CAN GET OUR DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES MUCH MORE INVOLVED IN HELPING TO COORDINATE ALL THE OUTREACH SPECIALISTS IN OUR CITY.
AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE MORE COORDINATED RESPONSE, UH, THERE ARE, UH, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN OUTREACH SPECIALISTS.
WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD JOB OF IS, IS COORDINATING ALL THESE OUTREACH SPECIALISTS TO ALL FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE AND DEAL WITH, WITH, WITH A CRISIS OR PEOPLE IN CRISES.
UM, THIS IS WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED, UH, OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
UH, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE FOLKS WHO, WHO GET OUT THERE AND GET TO KNOW THE POPULATION, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THE, AT THE HEART OF THIS, IS HELPING TO DEFINE WHAT THE CRISIS IS, UH, HELPING TO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE, MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
AND, UH, AND SO I THINK THAT THE TRAINING DOES A LOT TO HELP WITH, WITH THE REACTION FROM POLICE.
UH, BUT I BELIEVE THAT HAVING A PARTNER THAT, THAT IS AS AN OUTREACH SPECIALIST THAT KNOWS THE COMMUNITY CAN HELP NAVIGATE THE SITUATION MORE PROACTIVELY.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLIENTS.
UH, AND INSTEAD, I, I THINK ALL WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS, IS SORT OF THE, THE INTERSECTION OR THE, THE, THE, UH, THE CHANCE TO, UH, UH, INTERCEPT, UM, UH, A SITUATION WITH SOME OF THIS TRAINING.
I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED, UH, THIS ISSUE IN ALL CORNERS OF THE CITY.
AND HAVING OUTREACH SPECIALISTS HELP US NAVIGATE THIS, I THINK IS CRITICAL.
OUR OUTREACH SPECIALIST, UH, ON, ON ON MANY OCCASIONS HAS, UH, HAS RELIED ON THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH S A P D HAS RELIED ON PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHERS, UH, TO HELP, UH, UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW TO HANDLE A POTENTIAL, UH, ISSUE AT HAND.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT BELEN BEGINS WITH THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
OUR OWN STRATEGIC, UH, UH, HOMELESS, UH, PROGRAM THAT WE PAID FOR AND ADOPTED IN DECEMBER TALKS ABOUT, UH, THE OUTREACH EFFORTS, UH, ARE, ARE LACKING.
IN OTHER WORDS, THAT WE ONLY DO ABOUT 48 HOURS OF OUTREACH BEFORE WE GO, LET'S SAY, GO CLEAN UP AN ENCAMPMENT.
AND THAT'S JUST SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH.
UM, I THINK THAT THE, THE, THE QUESTIONS I HAVE CENTERED AROUND HOW, HOW IS D H S, UH, BEING A MEANINGFUL PARTNER AND LEADING THE WAY, HOW ARE OUR OUTREACH SPECIAL SPECIALISTS HELPING TO LEAD THE WAY? AND IF NOT, CAN THEY LEAD THE WAY IN HELPING TO NAVIGATE THIS WITH POLICE OFFICERS HELPING TO, UH, UH, NAVIGATE THE, THE, THE CONCERNS, THE ISSUES, UH, BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
UH, WE, WE PUT UP A CHART CALL THAT HAD HOW
[01:25:01]
MANY, UH, THE, THE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS THAT, UH, THAT WERE RECEIVED.I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, WERE ANY OF THOSE CALLS COORDINATED WITH D H S AND ANY OUTREACH SPECIALISTS AND, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, UH, OR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE AND THE SCOPE? UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS IS HOW CAN THIS, THESE PARTNERSHIPS, UH, BE MORE SOLIDIFIED, IF NOT, UH, TRANSFORMED IN A WAY WHERE OUR OUTREACH SPECIALISTS ARE LEADING? AND I, WE'D LIKE TO CALL IT OUTREACH FIRST.
UH, I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT.
COUNCILMAN, DO YOU WANT ME TO ADDRESS THAT QUESTION? ANYWAY? SO, UM, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, UH, COUNCILMAN KALO PROGRAMS. ONE IS, UM, THE CALLS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GETS THROUGH OUR 9 1 1 SYSTEM, THOSE SAYS WHAT I'M CALLING REACTIVE RESPONSES.
SO WE HAVE SOMEBODY IN CRISIS, WE NEED TO RESPOND RIGHT AWAY, SO THE, THE POLICE OFFICER PARTNERS WITH SOMEBODY FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT AND, UM, AND WITH, UH, A CLINICIAN, UH, DEPENDING ON, ON THE TIME OF, OF THE CALL AND THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES.
SO THAT IS A RESPONSE, YOU KNOW, REACTIVE, SOMEBODY'S IN CRISIS.
UM, DEPUTY, UM, FOX MENTIONED ABOUT THE DEESCALATION, THAT PROGRAM THAT WE IMPLEMENTED LAST YEAR TO TRY TO MITIGATE ANY, UH, NEGATIVE, UH, INTERACTIONS WITH, WITH THE INDIVIDUAL HAVING A, A CRISIS.
THE OTHER PROGRAM THAT I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PERHAPS MORE INTERESTED IN, IS A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH.
UM, AND, AND WHAT WE, WHAT WE DO THROUGH OUR MENTAL HEALTH UNIT AND THE HOPE TEAM IS WHEN THEY DO OUR REACH AND THEY'RE FOCUSING ON INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON THE STREET, EITHER HOMELESS OR HAVE ISSUES WITH, UH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, THEY DO A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH TO TRY TO HELP 'EM, UM, AND PROVIDE 'EM WITH THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.
THE HUMAN RESOURCES, I'M SORRY, THE, UM, HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATES THROUGH THE CLINICIANS THAT, UM, ARE RIGHT NOW CONTRACTED THROUGH CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
THAT CONTRACT IS MANAGED BY OUR HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
NOW, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, WITH THE OUTREACH, UH, INDIVIDUAL THIS FISCAL YEAR, THERE HAS BEEN, UH, MORE COORDINATION.
THE PROGRAM, AS YOU KNOW, IS NEW AND IT JUST STARTING.
SO TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S ROOM TO GROW IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA FOR US TO MAXIMIZE THOSE RESOURCES.
BUT THAT IS JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON HOW THAT, UH, INTERSECTION HAPPENS WITH HUMAN SERVICES.
IF YOU COULD ALSO JUST, UH, COMMENT, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUTREACH SPECIALISTS TO, TO HELP LEAD THE CONVERSATION AND SOME OF THIS, WHAT COULD WE TAKE THAT AS A RECOMMENDATION, MARIA, JUST SO WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO, TO GET THROUGH THE, THE NEXT ONES? THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN.
UM, D THREE COUNCILWOMAN VRAN, THANK YOU.
AND EACH, AND, AND WE HAVE 10 MINUTES FOR YOU? FOR ME.
SORRY, I HAD ANNOUNCED THAT EARLIER, BUT I THINK THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION.
I SAID SPECIFICALLY DISTRICT THREE GETS 10 MINUTES
UM, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH TO ALL THE SPEAKERS, REALLY.
UM, IT WAS VERY GOOD ENLIGHTENING INFORMATION.
SO THANK YOU CHAIR FOR HAVING THIS.
UM, SOME, I JUST NEED SOME QUICK LEVEL SETTING QUESTIONS.
FIRST, UH, BEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
IT WAS, UH, GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT CAHOOTS.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOUR TEAM GETS 500 OF TRAINING.
ONE, HOW LARGE ARE YOUR TEAMS? HOW, HOW MANY STAFF DO YOU HAVE? AND NUMBER ONE, AND THEN TWO, IF IT'S 500 HOURS OF FIELD WORK AND 30 HOURS IN THE CLASSROOM, UH, FOR HOW LONG IS THAT? IS THAT JUST A PART OF ONBOARDING FOR NEW EMPLOYEES, OR IS THAT A YEAR OR, OR WHAT? YEAH, WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 40 STAFF IN ORDER TO, UM, STAFF ALL OF THE VANS EFFECTIVELY.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY IN CONSTANT RECRUITMENT MODE, BRINGING MORE FOLKS IN, UH, ESPECIALLY AS WE WENT TO RUNNING THE 24 7 CLOCK MORE RECENTLY.
UM, AND THE, THE FIELD TRAINING HOURS IS, UH, WRITING AS A THIRD.
SO THEY JOIN OUR PARTNER TEAMS AND GO THROUGH AT LEAST THAT MUCH TRAINING AS A THIRD PERSON ON THE TEAM BEFORE WE CUT THEM LOOSE AS A PART OF THE TWO PERSON TEAM.
AND IT CAN VARY, SOMETIMES MORE, SOMETIMES LESS, DEPENDING ON HOW THAT TRAINING PROCESS GOES.
AND, AND THEN THE CLASSWORK IS A, IS IS USUALLY TAKE, TAKES
[01:30:01]
PLACE OVER THE FIRST LIKE, UH, MONTH OR SO OF THEIR ONBOARDING PROCESS AND IS MORE SPECIFIC TO THE KINDS OF WORK RADIO PROTOCOL.UM, YOU KNOW, HOW TO HANDLE SPECIFIC THINGS LIKE SI OR SPECIFIC KINDS OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUE THEY MIGHT ENCOUNTER.
THOSE KINDS OF, OF TRAININGS THAT WE TAKE, WE DO IN THOSE INDIVIDUAL CLASSES.
AND THEN ONGOING TRAINING, DEPENDING ON THEIR LEVEL AND CERTIFICATION.
SO, UH, EMTS HAVE REGULAR TRAININGS THEY HAVE TO DO, UM, TO KEEP THEIR CERTS UP.
UH, AND WE DO SIMILAR KINDS OF SUPERVISION AND WORK WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE.
ONE THING THAT I DID, UM, LIKE FROM ALL OF THE, WELL, FROM SOME OF THE, THE DIFFERENT, UH, PRESENTATIONS WAS DISCUSSING THE, UM, KIND OF THE CALL, THE CALL FLOW, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CALL COMES IN EITHER TO B C S O OR WITH CAHOOTS AND, AND, UM, UH, UH, DEPUTY CHIEF FALK I SAW ON SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN, YOU KNOW, FUSION CENTER CA, SECTION CAPTAIN, ET CETERA, BUT THAT'S WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT.
SO I THINK I WOULD LOVE TO SEE KIND OF A FLOW CHART OF HOW THAT WOULD, HOW THAT WORKS CURRENTLY.
AND I THINK IT WOULD HELP US, UM, KIND OF WORK OUT WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, BECAUSE THEN IN THE LAST SLIDE THAT YOU HAVE, UM, WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THE M H U PARTNER AGENCIES, UM, YOU HAVE ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, SAN ANTONIO, FIRE DEPARTMENT, ET CETERA.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD START LOOKING AT IT FROM A FLIP SIDE WHERE KIND OF LIKE FLIP IT UPSIDE DOWN WHERE THE M H U OR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE THAT WOULD BE A PARTNER TO, UM, ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT COULD HELP WITH THESE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS.
UM, KIND OF LIKE HOW, UM, CAHOOTS IS OR OTHER ORGANIZATION OR A PARTNERSHIP.
I THINK THAT, UH, I THINK, SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO THINK ABOUT.
OH, ONE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, UH, BEN, DO YOU ALL PARTNER, UH, WITH THE, THE FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS? ARE THEY A PART OR EMBEDDED INTO CAHOOTS SOMEHOW? NO, WE DO WORK WITH DIFFERENT FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
SO THAT PROVIDE SHELTER HERE IN EUGENE, OREGON IS AN EMERGENCY SHELTER, ESPECIALLY FOR COLD WEATHER NIGHTS.
UH, AND WE DO WORK WITH THEM TO HELP, UH, TRANSPORT INDIVIDUALS AND HANDLE SITUATIONS AS THEY COME UP AND PROVIDE SOME TRAINING.
UM, AND WE'VE WORKED SOME WITH SOME FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO ALSO DO PART OF WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT SOME, UH, TERM KIND OF SHELTER PLACEMENT WITH SOME OF THOSE HUTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'VE HAD SOME, UH, REALLY GOOD WORK WITH SOME OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS HELPING US TO KIND OF GIVE TEMPORARY SHELTER, UH, TO FOLKS, BECAUSE WE FIND THAT TO BE A KEY POINT IN TRYING TO STABILIZE SOMEBODY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE DUAL DIAGNOSIS, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH KIND OF STUFF GOING ON AND OR HOMELESS, UM, THAT, THAT SHELTER PIECE KIND OF BUILDS ON THAT.
BECAUSE I THINK IN THE ELEMENT, UH, OF THE PRESENTATION, UM, CHIEF FALK IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH OUR, CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE DO HAVE WITH FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
SIMILARLY, WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER VIN WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE HUMAN SERVICES, UH, D H S DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT ENTITY THERE THAT IS READY TO GO AND HAVE STEPPED UP IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT I THINK WE CAN, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE BEST WAY WE CAN KIND OF INSERT THEM INTO THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION.
UM, AND THEN ONE OTHER ITEM I HAD, WHAT WAS, WHAT I DIDN'T SEE HERE, OR MAYBE IT WASN'T VERY CLEAR THAT DEPUTY CHIEF LK WAS WHEN IT COMES TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE, AND WE KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE ON THE STREET, I KNOW WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF CALLS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ON THE STREETS, WHO ARE REALLY IN DIRE NEED BECAUSE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
THEY'RE WALKING AROUND, THEY'RE TAKING OFF THEIR SHIRTS, THEY'RE YELLING, AND IT'S, AND PEOPLE ARE, THE GREAT PHRASE I LEARNED TONIGHT, CELLPHONE SAMARITAN, WHO IS, WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAFE AND THEY GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED.
THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT THEM TO GO TO JAIL BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER THE INFLUENCE
[01:35:01]
OF SOME VERY BAD DRUG AND TO GET THEM TO A HOSPITAL OR A BED AND GET EVALUATED.SO I DIDN'T, THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY CLEAR IN THE PRESENTATION OF HOW WE DO THAT WITH S A P D.
AND I'D REALLY LOVE TO, AND HOW THAT FITS EITHER WITH SS A P D OR IF IT'S WITH STRAC AND IT GOES TO THE BEDS, AND I KNOW YOU DO PARTNER WITH THEM, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH BEDS? IF WE DON'T, THEN WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR ENOUGH BEDS, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY? DO WE HAVE ENOUGH, UH, M H U MENTAL HEALTH UNIT PATROL OFFICERS, DETECTIVES? IF NOT, HOW MUCH MORE WOULD BE A GOOD COMPLIMENT WITH THAT? UM, AND THEN ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS, UH, W CHIEF FALK, I MEAN, HAVE WE HAD A POLL FROM SS A P D, OUR OFFICERS WHO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, LIKE THIS IS THE HELP THAT WE AS S A P D OFFICERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
I MEAN, THIS IS THE BURDEN THAT IT PUTS ON US.
SIMILARLY, YOU KNOW, HOW, UH, WAS MENTIONED EUGENE, UM, EUGENE PD REACHED OUT TO CAHOOTS.
HAVE WE DONE THAT, I GUESS A SURVEY OR A POLL OR HEARD FROM OUR OFFICERS TELLING US LIKE, HEY, MAYBE WE HAVE, AND WE'VE HAD THIS PRESENTED BEFORE, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THAT THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US? I DO.
UM, DID YOU WANT ME TO TRY TO ANSWER A LOT OF YOUR QUESTIONS OR JUST THAT LAST ONE SPECIFICALLY? UH, LET'S JUST TRY WITH THE LAST ONE SPECIFICALLY.
SO WE DO, SO WHEN OUR MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS TEACH IN SERVICE ANNUALLY, UH, THEY GET FEEDBACK FROM THE OFFICERS WHO IN ARE IN THE CLASS.
UH, SOMETIMES THAT'S WRITTEN FEEDBACK, SOMETIMES THAT'S JUST VERBAL CONVERSATIONS.
UM, BUT A LOT OF WHAT WE HEAR FROM OUR OFFICERS DURING INSERVICE IS THAT, FIRST WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MENTAL HEALTH UNIT OFFICERS TO BEGIN WITH.
I THINK, UM, MR. BEACH MENTIONED WE CURRENTLY HAVE 10, AND, AND THOSE ARE TRYING TO, UM, SERVICE 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE, UH, MORE OR LESS.
UH, SO WE, WE HEAR THAT A LOT, THAT WE NEED MORE MENTAL HEALTH.
WE HEAR THAT, UM, ONCE OFFICERS TAKE AN EMER, UH, UM, A MENTALLY ILL, UH, INDIVIDUAL TO A HOSPITAL, UH, WE, WE HEAR THAT THE HOSPITALS DON'T HOLD THEM FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY NEED TO, TO PROPERLY ASSESS AND, AND THAT PERSON'S RIGHT BACK OUT, UH, ON THE STREET AGAIN, ONLY TO HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE CALL AGAIN, UM, BECAUSE OF BEHAVIORAL ISSUE OR WHATEVER.
UH, THAT, THAT'S THE TWO BIGGEST AREAS OF FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM OFFICERS, THAT WE NEED MORE MENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS ON THE STREETS AND THAT WE NEED FOR THE HOSPITALS, UM, TO, TO REALLY STEP UP AND, AND, AND PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT, THAT THESE FOLKS NEED.
IF I CAN, OH, WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES, I'M, I WOULD LOVE TO GET A DEFINITION OF PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED AND WHAT ALL THAT ENCOMPASSES.
I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS EXACTLY.
IF YOU HAVE IT OR IF YOU DON'T, BUT WELL, I CAN CERTAINLY GET IT FOR YOU, BUT, BUT WHAT I'M, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE ISSUE IS IS THAT, UH, ONCE THE, THE, THE PERSON SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS GETS TO THE HOSPITAL, WE'RE HEARING A LOT, UH, WELL, THEY DON'T MEET THE CRITERIA.
THEY'RE NOT A DANGER TO THEMSELVES.
NOW, THEY'RE NOT A DANGER TO SOMEBODY ELSE, BUT, BUT, BUT THEY WERE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE REASON THAT THEY, THEY'RE THERE SO THEY DON'T HOLD THEM FOR THE FULL 48 HOURS, UH, TO WHERE THEY COULD START GETTING THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED, UH, TO GET HELP.
SO THEY JUST RELEASE 'EM RIGHT BACK OUT.
UM, I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GONZALEZ.
AND SO I'LL TRY AND, AND, UH, BE BRIEF WITH MY QUESTIONS BECAUSE I HAVE COMPANY.
UM, SO TELL ME, UH, I, I, AND IT REALLY JUST ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT COUNCIL MIRAN WAS SAYING, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE THOSE SERVICES, AND I THINK WE KIND OF KEEP GOING BACK TO IT, DO THOSE HAVE TO BE PERFORMED BY UNIFORMED OFFICERS AND COUNCILWOMAN? IS THAT FOR EVERYONE, OR IS IT JUST FOR DEPUTY CHIEF
[01:40:01]
WE CAN TALK TO, I MEAN, I, I WASN'T CLEAR AS I WAS TRYING TO PAY ATTENTION HERE, LIKE, DO THESE, I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S LIKE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, UM, RIGHT, WHERE WHAT SHE WAS LIKE, THE SCENARIO, I THINK THAT YOU EXPLAINED EARLY ON IN YOUR OPENING PRESENTATION, THERE'S A CRISIS HAPPENING RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY UNIFORMED OFFICERS.BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FOLLOW UP, DOES THAT, DOES THAT NEED TO BE DONE? AND I DON'T KNOW, UH, WHO, I MEAN, PERHAPS IT'S A QUESTION, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE SORT OF EVOLVING AS TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY UNIFORMED OFFICERS AND WHAT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DO THINK IF THERE'S LIKE AN IMMINENT, IF THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE CRISIS, IT NEEDS TO BE.
BUT, UM, BUT AS, AS DOUG MENTIONED IN HIS REMARKS, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THAT LED UP TO THIS CRISIS AND, YOU KNOW, COULD WE HAVE INTERVENED AT SOME OTHER POINT? AND THAT'S WHERE I, YOU KNOW, UM, MY COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, I KEEP THINKING ABOUT THE
WE'VE BEEN USING IT FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
IT'S A PROVEN MODEL, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE WORKERS WHO ARE ALREADY EMBEDDED IN THE COMMUNITY.
PERHAPS THIS WOULD JUST BE ANOTHER TOPIC, UM, SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES.
UM, AND THEN WHEN THE CRISIS HAPPENS, RIGHT? WE, WE, UM, WILL HAVE TO ADDRESS UNIFORMED OFFICERS BECAUSE IT, IT DOES SEEM TO ME LIKE WE HAVE THE MODELS, UH, IN PLACE, UM, TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES.
I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
I MEAN, WHEN I VERY FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, COUNCIL GERRAN, AND I, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN OUR, IN OUR LAST MONTH, IN MY VERY FIRST MONTH OF, OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, I CONVENED AN, A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE TO TRY TO ADDRESS, UM, SORT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WERE HAPPENING RIGHT AROUND HAVEN FOR HOPE.
UH, A LOT OF, UM, UH, OF, UH, DRUG TRAFFICKING, A LOT OF, UM, MOSTLY DRUG ACTIVITY THAT WAS HAPPENING AROUND THE AREA, A LOT OF LOITERING.
UM, AND WE CALLED A BIG GROUP TOGETHER.
AND THE NUMBER, THE ONE THING THAT CAME UP ROSE TO THE SURFACE WAS THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH SOBERING BEDS.
AND SO HERE WE ARE, EIGHT YEARS LATER, I'M HEARING YOU TELL ME THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SOBERING BEDS.
AND SO I THINK THAT THERE'S PROBABLY FUNDING AVAILABLE NOW THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, EIGHT YEARS AGO.
I THINK THAT PERHAPS WITH THE, WITH THE NEW STIMULUS MONEY, UM, THAT WE CAN START TO ADDRESS THAT.
BUT AGAIN, LIKE THAT'S NOT A LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUE.
IF I'M, I DON'T KNOW, PERHAPS, UM, WE CAN SORT OF ADDRESS LIKE, DOES, DOES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AT ALL? UH, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT THAT THAT'S PART OF A DIFFERENT UNIT THAT'S ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
THERE'S JUST, AND IN FACT, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, NOW THAT I'M SORT OF REMEMBERING THIS CONVERSATION, SO MANY YEARS AGO, WHAT WE DID NOT HAVE WAS THE FACILITY.
THERE WASN'T ENOUGH LIKE PHYSICAL SPACE, SAFE.
UM, AND SO I I I, IS THAT STILL SOMETHING THAT COULD BE RESOLVED WITH ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE LAW ENFORCEMENT? AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR
AND, AND THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, AND THAT IS, UM, EXACTLY WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND REVIEWING POLICE SERVICES AS A WHOLE SO WE CAN DETERMINE IF THERE'S A DIFFERENT WAY TO RESPOND TO THOSE CALLS.
THE, SO THE WORK THAT THIS COMMITTEE IS DOING, THE WORK THAT THE, UM, MEADOWS FOUNDATION IS CONDUCTING, WE, WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR YOU AND, UH, AND, AND HAVE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO THE WAY THAT WE RESPOND TO THOSE CALLS TODAY.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, COUNCILMAN.
AND BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT WHAT'S, WHAT'S UNIQUE NOW IS THAT WE MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE, AND THE OTHER, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCE THAT CAME UP A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, UM, WAS, UM, THAT WE GOT SOME FUNDING, UM, FOR OPIOIDS.
AND SO, I DON'T KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER QUESTION OF WHERE WE STAND WITH THAT FUNDING.
$12 MILLION FROM FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THE OPIOID.
IS THAT PART OF WHAT WE DID WITH THE MEADOWS? AND, AND THAT, UM, THAT WAS, THAT I KNOW THE FUNDING WAS ACCOUNTED FOR.
UM, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF WE LEARNED ANYTHING FROM THAT.
SO, SO THE WORK THAT THE MEADOWS IS DOING, COUNCILWOMAN IS DOING AN ASSESSMENT OF OUR RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH, UM, HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
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NOT ONLY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO OUR, OUR PARTNERS AS WELL, WITH THE GOAL OF BRINGING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL ON HOW WE COULD POTENTIALLY, UH, PROVIDE ALTERNATIVES TO THE WAY THAT WE, THAT WE DO THAT WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.UM, AND TO YOUR POINT, WITH AVAILABLE FUNDING SOURCES, WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE PACKAGING THAT, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, UM, THOSE, THOSE POTENTIAL CHANGES THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT WITH WITHIN OUR, WITHIN OUR CITY.
AND SO LEMME JUST ASK A QUESTION, UM, TO, UM, THE GENTLEMAN FROM EUGENE, OREGON, UM, THAT I MISSED IN YOUR PRESENTATION, ARE, ARE, ARE, IS THE FACT THAT YOU REFER TO, ARE THEY, ARE THOSE UNIFORMED OFFICERS? NO, THEY'RE NOT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, AGAIN, THE HUMAN SERVICE WORKERS ASSOCIATED WITH WHITEBIRD CLINIC ARE HUMAN SERVICE AGENCY.
AND SO THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE TRA UH, BY DEFINITION LOCALLY, I THINK TRANSPORTATION SPECIALISTS OR SOMETHING WITH ONE OF THE WAYS THEY ORIGINALLY PLUGGED US IN.
UM, BUT NOW IT'S MORE MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE THAT'S CAUGHT ON AND, AND BECOME MORE OF THE BANNER THAT WE FLY UNDER A MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE.
AND AGAIN, WE RESPOND TO ANYTHING THAT'S NON-CRIMINAL AND DOESN'T REALLY HAVE A CLEAR THREAT OF DANGER TO OUR STAFF.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY, JUST PUT A FINER POINT, JUST PUT A FINER POINT ON THAT QUICKLY.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT WE HANDLE A, A GROWING AMOUNT OF THE CALL, TOTAL CALL VOLUME, COMING TO OUR POLICE DISPATCH AND NON-EMERGENCY AND 9 1 1 SYSTEM, PARTLY BECAUSE AFTER 30 YEARS, RESIDENTS IN OUR AREA HAVE, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT IS OR IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE CALL.
WE DO A LOT OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AROUND THAT TO OTHERS TO REALLY DEFINE THAT FOR PEOPLE.
SO THEY'RE NOT EVEN CALLING FOR THE POLICE IF THEY DON'T WANT THAT.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR FOOD CORRECTLY.
AND SO THEN LET ME ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO, AND HOW, HOW DID YOU INFORM THE COMMUNITY OR EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE SERVICES? WE DO A LOT OF TRAININGS IN DEESCALATION FOR COMMUNITY PARTNER AGENCIES, UH, BUSINESSES, UH, LOCAL COMMUNITY GROUPS ACROSS THE AREA, AS WELL AS OUTREACH SPECIFICALLY TO, UM, DIFFERENT GROUPS LIKE THAT, BOTH ABOUT THE CAHOOTS MODEL AND WHAT SERVICES WE PROVIDE, AS WELL AS AN OVERALL DEESCALATION PRESENTATION WE DO FOR THEIR STAFF THAT, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSES IN ON WHAT IS AN APPROPRIATE KIND OF CALL FOR OUR, OUR SERVICE.
AND SO, UM, I THOUGHT I SAW $2 MILLION, UM, ON YOUR PRESENTATION.
IS THAT, WAS THAT THE COST OF YOUR PROGRAM? YEAH, ROUGHLY.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S FOR, UH, AT THE PEAK DURING PEAK HOURS, THREE VANS ON THE ROAD, BUT 2 24 HOUR VANS PLUS, UH, ANOTHER VAN THAT RUNS, UH, AROUND 12 HOURS A DAY.
THAT DOES OVERLAP IN EUGENE TO TAKE SOME OF THE HIGH CALL VOLUME TIMES THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING.
UH, ONE THING THAT THAT COST DOESN'T INCLUDE IS THAT, UM, THE, THE COUNTY AND CITY OF EUGENE FUEL THE VEHICLES AND ALSO HELP US WITH MAINTENANCE REPAIR, KIND OF ROUTINE MAINTENANCE REPAIR ON THEM.
SO THERE ARE SOME EMBEDDED COSTS, THE COST OF THE DISPATCH SYSTEM, UM, AND AT LEAST THAT FUELING PIECE THAT AREN'T INCLUDED.
BUT THE REST OF THE INSURANCE, THE ADMINISTRATION, THE, THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS AN AGENCY TO RUN THAT MOBILE CRISIS ARE ALL INCLUDED IN THAT, AS WELL AS MOSTLY WHAT IS PERSONNEL EXPENSE.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK, AND AND I, I IMAGINE Y'ALL ARE, I'M NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH EUGENE, SO IT'S A SMALL CITY.
IS THAT WHAT, HOW, WHAT IS IT YOUR POPULATION? UH, I BELIEVE EUGENE SPRINGFIELD PUT TOGETHER IS AROUND 130,000.
SO, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THAT'S LIKE SMALLER THAN MY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO, UM, WE'D HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT TO SCALE.
AND ALSO, I WONDER IF IT MATTERS, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, MORE AS WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, UM, UH, AT JUST DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MATTERS OR NOT, BUT YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE EVOLVING, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS HAVING A MORE TARGETED, UH, APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH, UH, WILL HELP US, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
SO I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE, UM, I I, I, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE REALLY EVOLVING AS A COUNTRY AS WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO PUT MORE FUNDING, UM, TO, UM, MENTAL HEALTH THAT WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WE WERE NOT SEEING BEFORE.
AND I THINK THAT WE ALSO KNOW THAT PERHAPS THIS, UH, AMOUNT OF, UM, STIMULUS WILL HAVE, UH, UM, A MENTAL HEALTH OR A ME, UH, HEALTH COMPONENT AS WELL, MENTAL HEALTH AND OTHERWISE.
SO, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE AROUND FOR A LITTLE BIT OF THOSE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
SO I'LL, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER.
WE'RE COMING CLOSE TO OUR, TO OUR CLOSING TIME.
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THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE LEFT TO DISCUSS.IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONVEY EVERYTHING WE NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO MAKE, UH, POLICY DECISIONS IN, YOU KNOW, 15 MINUTES OR LESS.
AND OBVIOUSLY I GAVE YOU ALL LESS THAN THAN 15 MINUTES.
SO WHAT I'D, I'D LIKE TO, UH, INVITE THE MEMBERS TO DO IS IF YOU HAVE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS THAT YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO ASK TODAY, WILL GO AHEAD AND TRY TO GET YOU AN ANSWER.
UM, MY TEAM AND, AND MR. MCC CAREY'S TEAM WILL, WILL WORK ON THAT.
UM, PRESENTERS, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL TO US AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO, TO SEND THAT OUR WAY AND EITHER OURSELVES OR SOMEONE ON OUR STAFF.
ALONG WITH, UH, WHAT IS COMING BACK FROM, FROM THE MEADOWS REPORT, AGAIN, WE, UM, I THINK IT'S VERY HARD TO ASK A COMMITTEE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN WE DON'T GIVE THE, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED, UH, IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND LASTLY, AS A WRAP UP, I'D LIKE TO OFFER EACH OF OUR SPEAKERS, UH, A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO GIVE US ANY CLOSING COMMENTS THAT YOU HAVE, UH, EITHER SOMETHING YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO SAY IN YOUR PRESENTATION OR, OR SOMETHING WHICH, FOR WHICH FOR CHIEF FOX IS GONNA BE A LOT OF STUFF, UH, OR, UH, AT ANY, JUST CLOSING WORDS OF ADVICE BASED ON, ON SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'VE HEARD HERE.
SO, I'LL, I'LL ACTUALLY START WITH, I'LL GO IN REVERSE ORDER AND I'LL, AND I'LL START WITH, UH, DOUG.
UM, I THINK THIS IS SUCH A BIG PROBLEM, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAMS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT OUR MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM, OUR MENTAL HEALTH CARE IS IN CRISIS.
THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE TODAY IN JAILS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WAITING FOR MENTAL HEALTH COMPETENCY RESTORATION IN STATE HOSPITALS THAN WE HAVE STATE HOSPITAL BEDS.
IT'S NOT JUST ONE PIECE OF THIS SYSTEM THAT'S BROKEN, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO COME BACK AT THIS AS A COMMUNITY ISSUE.
UH, GONNA TAKE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY WORKING ON THIS FROM THEIR OWN, UH, DIFFERENT VANTAGE POINTS.
WE NEED A, WE NEED A BETTER COORDINATED RESPONSE ACROSS THE BOARD.
I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, UM, HEARING ALL THE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, UM, THAT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, MENTAL HEALTH IS A MEDICAL CONDITION, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WERE QUESTIONS AROUND OUR, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO START LOOKING AT IT AS A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION AND, AND TREAT IT AS SUCH.
AND THEN THE OTHER BIG THING IS TRAINING.
UM, AS WE LEARN, UH, WE'RE PUTTING, UM, CLINICIANS OUT ON THE AMBULANCE, I'M SORRY, I HAVE A, A LITTLE WINE MARR THAT'S IN THE BACKGROUND.
UH, WE ARE PUTTING MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS OUT ON THE AMBULANCE, UM, WITH FIRST RESPONDERS.
THERE'S NOT ONLY A NEED FOR FIRST RESPONDERS TO BE TRAINED IN MENTAL HEALTH, THE CLINICIANS AND, UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ALSO NEED KIND OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING.
SO THE CROSS TRAINING OF THE TWO, UM, I THINK THAT'S A TRUE GAP IN OUR SYSTEM, UM, COMING FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH WORLD.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AND, AND TRY TO OFFER THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THIS KIND OF ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE MODEL.
SO, APPRECIATE THE TIME TONIGHT.
OH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE, BEN.
YEAH, I, I APPRECIATED TIME TO PRESENT WITH YOU ALL, AND LIKE I SAID, I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S A MOVEMENT AND A SHIFT ACROSS THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW AT LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN REIMAGINE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSE.
ALTHOUGH I DO AGREE HEAVILY WITH WHAT DOUG SAID ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE IS, UH, DEFINITELY A, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS WITHIN OUR MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY TOO.
UM, AND, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT A LOT OF THAT STARTS AT, AGAIN, AT THE FRONT END.
I MEAN, WE LOOK AT THE CRIMINALIZATION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, AND, AND THE WAY THAT EVEN HOMELESSNESS THEN IS REALLY A, A CRIMINALIZED KIND OF OF ACT, UH, WHICH IS REALLY JUST PEOPLE TRYING TO SURVIVE.
UM, SO I, I THINK YOU START AT THAT FRONT END, UH, AND, AND TRY TO LIKE ALSO THEN IDENTIFY WHERE THOSE OTHER PLACES ARE THAT NEED TO BE SHORED UP IN ORDER FOR THERE TO BE GOOD RESPONSES.
YOU CAN BUILD A MOBILE CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM SIMILAR TO CAHOOTS, BUT IT CAN BE A ROAD TO NOWHERE IF YOU DON'T ALSO LOOK AT THOSE OTHER PIECES THAT ARE BEING POINTED AT TO SAY, WELL, WHERE ARE WE TAKING PEOPLE AND HOW ARE THEY GETTING THEIR NEEDS MET? UM, BECAUSE THE MOBILE CRISIS INTERVENTION'S ONLY GONNA BE AS GOOD AS THE SYSTEMS THEN THAT UNDERPIN THEM, THAT HELP STABILIZE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, THERE, AND AGAIN, CAHOOTS, WHITEBOARD HAS ROLLED UP ITS SLEEVES TO DO SOME OF THAT WORK OURSELVES.
YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE CAN'T LOOK AT THE HOUSING FIRST, UH, RESEARCH THAT'S NOW BEEN AROUND FOR, YOU KNOW, THREE DECADES AND REALLY UNDERSTAND
[01:55:01]
THE COST SAVINGS THAT ARE THERE, THEN WE'RE NOT GONNA LISTEN TO THE GREAT INFORMATION THAT SARAH PUT OUT THERE.WHICH, BY THE WAY, SARAH, I WOULD LOVE YOUR POWERPOINT.
UM, THAT REALLY SHOWS JUST, UH, HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE WASTING WITH HIGH FREQUENCY SYSTEM UTILIZERS.
UM, AND SO IF WE, IF WE KNOW HOUSING FIRST HAS BEEN WORKING FOR THREE DECADES TO SAVE MONEY, BUT YET NOBODY'S PUTTING MONEY INTO IT, UH, IT'S REALLY HARD TO CONVINCE PEOPLE TO SPEND MONEY, TO SAVE MONEY LATER IS, HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE HERE.
UM, AND SOMETIMES ALL WE CAN DO IS, UH, YOU KNOW, CREATE A HUTT IN A, IN ONE LITTLE SPOT TO PUT PEOPLE WHEN WE NEED IT, TO STABILIZE THEM, UH, BECAUSE OUR WORKERS TRY TO GET AHEAD OF THAT TOO.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK EVERYBODY'S DOING OUT THERE.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE GOT SOME GREAT SYSTEMS YOU'RE BUILDING OUT THERE.
OH MY GOD, EVERYONE IS SPEAKING SUCH BEAUTIFUL TRUTHS HERE.
UM, AND, UH, CHIEF, UH, FOX, IF YOU WANNA TAKE IT AWAY, UH, FOR US.
I KNOW I HAVE ONE MINUTE, RIGHT? THAT'S IT.
WE, WE APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PANEL.
LIKE I SAID FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES IN OUR DEESCALATION TECHNIQUES AND THE POLICIES THAT WE RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED.
UM, BUT WE'RE OPEN TO, TO RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'RE OPEN TO, TO WORKING WITH AS MANY AGENCIES AS IT'S GONNA TAKE FOR US TO, TO, TO PROVIDE FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THOSE ARE THE FOLKS LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
UH, AND WE JUST APPRECIATE BEING, BEING A PART OF THIS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING DISCUSSIONS.
UH, I KEEP WANTING TO CALL YOU CAPTAIN, DEPUTY CHIEF, AND, AND I WANNA THANK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS.
THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL TIME FOR US TO HAVE A MEETING, UH, BUT FOR SCHEDULING PURPOSES, HERE WE ARE, UH, AT 9:00 PM ON A MONDAY NIGHT.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT THOSE KIDS, UH, AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE WHO'S NOT IN THE PICTURE RIGHT NOW, TOO, UH, WAITING FOR YOU.
SO I WANNA PERSONALLY THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH FOR, FOR JOINING US FOR, FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING.