Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution authorizes a memorandum of understanding between the Madison Police Department (MPD) and Journey Mental Health Center, Inc. (Journey) and three one-year renewals. Journey will employ and dedicate certified clinical crisis workers (anticiapted to be approximately three workers) to be housed within the MPD’s Community Outreach section. All costs associated with the crisis workers will be borne by Journey, with the exception of providing space which will be provided by MPD with existing resources. There is no impact on the levy.
Title
Authorizing a no-cost memorandum of understanding with Journey Mental Health Center, Inc. for dedicated mental health clinical crisis workers co-located in the Police Department.
Body
WHEREAS, Journey Mental Health Center, Inc. (Journey) and the City have jointly determined that it is in the best interest of the citizens of Madison to establish a proactive co-responder police-mental health program serving individuals with mental illness and to work collaboratively with mental health providers, advocates and citizens to develop individual response plans, coordinate outreach, address system issues/concerns, share information and respond to mental health calls for service when they arise; and,
WHEREAS, the City supports efforts to divert individuals with mental illness from jail and
recognizes the importance of a coordinated police/mental health response as essential to diverting individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system and connecting them to needed mental health treatment resources; and,
WHEREAS, the Madison Police Department (MPD) has expanded their police-mental health collaboration program to include officers fully dedicated to mental health related calls for service and these officers work proactively with patrol officers, mental health liaison officers, Journey, and other mental health service providers to promote positive, helping-oriented relationships between citizens and police, reduce emergent police contacts, assist consumers in accessing mental health services, and improve safety of citizens and the community; and,
WHEREAS, co-responder police-mental health collaboration programs have emerged as a best practice nationally and mental health clinicians housed within police agencies provide a more consistent collaborative field response thereby improving outcomes for individuals with mental illness; and,
WHEREAS, in 2016 the MPD and Journey were authorized to co-locate a mental health clinical crisis worker with the police department; and,
WHEREAS, this arrangement proved highly successful in early intervention as well as more immediate response to crisis situations; and,
WHEREAS, further supplementing the Department’s police-mental health collaboration programs to include Journey crisis workers to be housed within the Department’s Community Outreach section to support the work of the full time mental health officers will promote a reduction in mental health issue -based police contacts and better serve individuals with mental illness in our community; and,
WHEREAS, Journey will employ and dedicate certified clinical crisis workers to be housed within the Department to respond with police to mental health calls and work to engage and refer clients to appropriate mental health services, at no cost to the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Clerk are authorized to sign a memorandum of understanding with Journey Mental Health Center, Inc. that establishes the transportation, equipment, logistical and supply obligations, as well as operational and staffing protocols, for certified clinical crisis workers to be housed within the Department as described above from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Clerk are authorized to sign three one-year renewal memorandum of understandings, if said memorandum of understandings have been reviewed and approved by the City Attorney and the City Risk Manager.