Mental Health Peace Officer Programs Executive Director’s Consortium October 2014

Panel Representatives Mike Winburn, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Center & Lt. Jaime Castro, Galveston County Sheriff’s Department Greg Rowe, Executive Director, Concho Valley Center Terry Crocker, CEO, Tropical Texas Centers Sally Broussard, Chief Authority Officer, Spindletop Center

What is an MH Peace Officer A fully certified police officer or sheriff deputy Assigned duties exclusive to working with individuals suspected to have mental illness Specially trained and focused on dealing with mentally ill individuals (in excess of normal training required) Familiar with Texas law/Mental Health Code

What do MH Peace Officers do? Often respond with Community Center Crisis Workers or in place of Crisis workers Often based out of the Community MH Office Perform welfare checks for possible crisis calls Follow up with “frequent fliers” in down time to prevent subsequent crisis Assist with jail diversion activities for mentally ill individuals Provide training to other officers/etc..

Why are they effective? Teams made up of police officers & mental health workers have proven to be effective in both meeting the crisis needs of high risk individuals and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, ED usage and incarceration. MHPO direct clients to the most appropriate services. MHPO decrease time spent by local law enforcement on behavioral health crisis.

Evidence Based References Memphis Crisis Intervention Team – More efficient crisis response times Increased jail diversion Improved likelihood of treatment continuity with community based providers Positive impacts on symptomology for those with mental illness and substance abuse disorders Vickers, B. Memphis, Tennessee, Police Dept. CIT: Bulletin from the Field: Practitioner Perspectives. US Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2000

Evidence Based References SAMSHA – targets unnecessary incarceration of offenders with mental illnesses by promoting police crisis intervention teams working with community based mental health and substances abuse providers to divert them away from jails and into appropriate treatment. www.samhsa.gov/samhsaNewsletter/Volume17Number2/Treatment Alternative2.aspx

Evidence Based References CIT Toolkit, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – cites one of the benefits of the collaboration between mental health trained police officers and mental health providers: keeping people with mental illnesses out of jail and getting them into appropriate treatment. www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Policy/CIT/CIT Facts 4.11.12.pdf

Gulf Coast Center Gulf Coast Center had the first MH Peace Officer Program in Texas and possibly the nation.

Gulf Goast’s Mental Health Deputy Program Mike Winburn and Lt. Jaime Castro

Concho Valley’s Mental Health Deputy Program Greg Rowe

Concho Valley Model Development – 1999-2000 Originally Called the Jail Diversion Program The “Key to Success” was the Development of Partnerships: Legislative, Judges, Sheriff, Chief of Police, Constables, MH Professionals, ER Doctors, Private Hospitals, City & County Officials, Advocates Modeled after the Travis County Program

Structure 5 Positions – Sergeant and 4 Deputies 2 Shifts On-Call after Midnight No Transportation after Midnight

Deputy Training 40 Hour Certification Course Minimum of 480 hours of OJT Training on Emergency Detentions, Weapons, Threat to Self

Duties Welfare Checks Respond to Crisis Calls (Crisis Hotline, SAPD, MHMR, ISDs, Judges, ERs, Sheriff’s Office) Emergency Detentions Transportation to ER, Private Hospitals, St. Hospitals Education – Schools, Public, SAPD Assist Surrounding Counties

Other Duties Participate in OPC Hearings Assist with Warrants Gun Seizures Assist Bailiffs with CPS & APS Hearings

Funding DSHS Funding Through Rider 98 County & City Funds HHSC Uncompensated Care – Federal Match

Outcomes Diversion from Jail to Appropriate Treatment Improved Service Delivery to Individuals with Mental Illness - * Continuity from “Crisis to Care” * Less ER Time * Provides Structure for Enhanced Medication Adherence * Positive Impact on Reducing the Inpatient “Recidivism” Rate

Concho Valley Model - Benefits Saves Lives * Impacts the Suicide Rate and Deaths Associated with Untreated Mental Illness Improves Safety - Staff (MCOT), Officer, and Individual with Mental Illness Reduces Community Cost * Transportation * Related Court Expenses @ $1,200 per case * Jail @ $200 per day

Concho Valley Model - Benefits Directly Addresses the #1 Public Safety Issue in Texas (and the Nation), that of Untreated Mental Illness

Honored Winner of a 2002 County Best Practice Award given by the Texas Association of Counties Leadership Foundation

Stats September 2013 September 2014 Calls 129 Detained 95 Adult 111 Juvenile 21 MH Inv. 102 Transports 79 Crime Inv. 25 Alc/Drug Inv. 44 Calls 138 Detained 121 Adult 90 Juvenile 47 MH Inv. 110 Transports 92 Crime Inv. 10 Alc/Drug Inv. 38

Tropical Texas Centers Mental Health Deputy Program Terry Crocker

SPINDLETOP CENTER MH DEPUTY PROGRAM Sally Broussard “Pragmatism is good prevention for problems.” ― Amit Kalantri

Staffing Officers work for the County Sherriff Current New 2 FTE Officers 1 FTE QMHP New 3 FTE Officers 3 FTE QMHP Licensed MHPO TCLOSE Certification

Financing DSRIP Funding New Contract County Center Officers Equipment Vehicle Center QMHPs Interlocal Agreement New Rider 65 + MCOT Crisis GR 1 Officer 1 QMHP Contract

Work Duties PREVENTION! “Substation” @ Center Team Leader No Serving Warrants!!! “Substation” @ Center Team Leader Schedules Follow-Ups Triages Calls Allows Independent Judgment in field

Pros & Cons PROs CONs Great PR Very effective for “Revolving Doors” Improves Relationships with Law Enforcement CONs Dumping Internal External Staffing is difficult Right Officer Skilled QMHP Never Enough!