18 - Laserfiche WebLink

While this approach has demonstrated success in the past year, the Homeless Outreach Team will benefit from the implementation of a mental health crisis response program, as many of the unsheltered population have underlying mental health issues and require a more in-depth and specialized approach. The HOT routinely engages with individuals living in chronic or severe mental illness and conducts acute mental health evaluations for those in crisis. A dedicated clinician will aid in this assessment and help develop longer-term strategies. The HOT will also benefit from a dedicated program assistant to work in a part-time temporary capacity to help identify resources and navigate the complex system of social services to match clients with appropriate service providers. Mental health crisis response is complex and requires many different areas of expertise to address the variety of situations that arise. While patrol officers are not mental health experts, officers play a pivotal role in response to mental health crisis calls for service. Officers are a stabilizing resource to ensure the safety of involved parties regardless of the severity of the crisis, although they are not mental health specialists and do not have the level of expertise this complex issue requires. Based on the success of other programs, a demonstrated need in Pleasanton and the strong desire of the community, staff recommends the formation of a Mental Health Response Program (MHRP) to respond to crisis calls during peak hours of demand. The MHRP will incorporate the deployment of mental health clinicians and a specially trained non -uniformed police officer to respond to mental health crisis calls in an unmarked vehicle. The MHRP will complement the HOT by expanding the police department's alternative response offerings. The MHRP will draw from the existing resources of the HOT to designate one of the two officers as a primary responding officer for mental health related calls while being supported by and supporting calls of the officer assigned to homelessness. Both programs will be led by a police sergeant through a temporary transfer from the Operations Division. The City of Pleasanton General Plan established a four -minute or less response time goal to emergency calls for service and a twenty -minute response time goal to non- emergency calls. Staff anticipates that the officer and clinician assigned to the MHRP will respond primarily to non -emergency calls and provide support in emergency situations as appropriate. A review of three years of data from 5150 W&I cases indicate that most mental health crisis incidents occur between the hours of 9:00 am and 11:00 pm Monday - Friday. Calls for service will be assigned through police dispatch detailing the level of response necessary and, when appropriate, be transferred directly to a clinician. Page 6 of 11