Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact. All costs associated with the crisis worker will be borne by Journey.
Title
Authorization of a no-cost MOU with Journey Mental Health Center, Inc. for a dedicated mental health clinical crisis worker 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 specialized police response program (SPR) 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 has expanded their SPR to include five 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 SPR models 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, further supplementing the Department’s SPR to include a Journey crisis worker to be ...
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