Jessie Jessie.
We're going to take a seat.
I,
I am sure woman rossana Rodriguez Sanchez. It is 10:05 on
July 24th of 2023 and this meeting of the Chicago city
council committee on health and human relations is now
called to order.
Today we will vote on resolution are 2020 3000. 2929 to call
for subject matter, hearing on the expansion of access to
Mental Health Services in Chicago. And we will hold as
subject matter hearing, we will start off with roll, call
to establish Quorum by Sara Ramirez.
Are there?
Alderman Coleman.
I'll
Other.
Other Woman Cruise.
I think I saw her.
Other Woman slamfest.
Other Woman Gutierrez.
Everybody.
Did everybody go to the bathroom?
I'll
Other.
Alderman Lawson.
Are there?
Alderman Lopez chairwoman Haddon.
Alderman, Other Woman Mana hopping worth
Alderman Robinson.
Sure.
Turn.
Sherman ramirez-rosa
Turman. 60 Lopez Alderman Johnson.
Weather.
There is no other woman cruise and we have how many members
present?
9 members present, and we have a quorum
Are they?
are there?
Are there any known members present? We have other? My
lespada present. Thank you for being here.
and,
And Alderman, Cardona is here. Thank you. I'll make enough
for being here. And at this time we'll begin the public
comment period. This. Is limited to 30 minutes and out of
respect for everybody sign. We got a lot of people
commenting today. So we're going to have two minutes per
person and we are going to start with Vanessa Dominguez.
Play.
Please come to the mic.
and I,
And I go ahead and get started.
Okay. Everyone, my name is Vanessa Dominguez. I'm a youth
organizer with the Brighton Park neighborhood Council. And
I am here in support of treatment. Trauma because our
communities deserve to be met with care, compassion,
empathy and love. When we, or someone we know is having a
mental health crisis.
oh, I'm so
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm going to get emotional.
Police and Care are fundamentally incompatible, there's
absolutely no reason that an officer should be responding
to a mental health crisis.
treatment of
Treatment. Trauma calls for an immediate end to the
corresponding model and the city and Allison already have
been committed.
just,
Two sending police, officers to crisis, despite Chicagoans
wanting and needing something different. We need a model
that is pure based that sounds mental health professionals
that are trained and the escalation to arrive to a crisis
and he met with care and support. We also need her mental
health clinics reopen because we need to be connected.
Chicago wants to long-term care.
How do?
How do we expect people to continue to not experience
crisis and harm? When we only have five public, mental
health clinics open for a whole city. This means that
people are not provided, the long-term care and support.
They need, we are calling for an immediate end to the
corresponding model for a city to have a crisis. I'm sorry
ass City. Wine on police crisis response and for the
services at these clinics to be
I'm sorry. The
I'm sorry, this is the
I'm sorry, this is this a lot of pressure. We've been
calling for this for a long time but we need to make sure
that they're open longer hours for our young people. In our
families to go to, we need to make sure that people can
receive services in multiple languages and we need you all
to pass treatment. Trauma.
Thank.
Thank you for your comment.
Neck.
Next picture is Miguel alvelo.
It's me.
Is Miguel available in the room.
In 1.
Good morning, everybody.
my name is Miguel Bella and I'd like to add my voice to the
chorus of communities that have been talking for decades
now about
I'm a.
About the necessity of having a non police crisis response
system of re-envisioning, public safety, and health by
emphasizing care over violence, compassion
overcriminalization and treatment, not trauma. But I'm not
here to repeat what others have said and will say I'm here
talking to someone who's worked in community, nonprofits,
for over a decade about why it is essential that this
crisis response system is not only publicly funded, but
probably could publicly operated. Our city knows too well,
the many pitfalls of privatization
We're literally saw.
We're literally surrounded by examples of essential services
and industries that were sold off with the promise of
efficiency and cost-savings, but have proven to do the
complete opposite. We need a system that is responsible to
communities that can be trusted and held accountable. No,
private entity will be able to meet that expectation. No
company seeking profit will prioritize care. That's clear
as day, but also no nonprofit be a mission-driven around
care or even more, cynically driven around meeting Grant
requirements will be able to to be held accountable in the
ways that we need them to be care is essential. And it is
essential that this not police crisis response. System be
publicly funded publicly run and responsible accountable to
all our communities. Thank you
Thank.
Thank you. The next speaker is Warren Wagner.
Hello. I'm wearing Wagner, a resident of South Loop in the
fourth ward and I'm here, because our city urgently needs
treatment, not trauma, in 2018, a black student at my
college. So do Thomas was shot by police while undergoing a
mental health crisis, he'd sought out Mental Health Care
from the University two months before but was
Andre.
Died. And redirected the private providers in the loop with
long. Wait times. And he wasn't able to get care. They're
the cops proceeded to criminalize him, even though he was
the one injured, and he spent months in the horrid
conditions of Cook County, Jail, do the tireless,
organizing and advocacy by him, fellow students, family
members and friends. We got him released and charges
dropped after two years. Over two years of isolation
incarceration. And Trauma last. I spoke with him, he was
moving on with his life and finishing training to be an
EMT.
Do.
Those are.
Those years of pain for a whole Community could have been
easily avoided. If we had FEMA, not, we need a deep City
Wide network of public. Mental health centers that are free
accessible, fully-funded community-based and welcoming so
that people can get the care they want before moments of
Crisis. We need a 24/7 on please crisis response rooted in
patient's, consent and peer support. So, the people I met
with compassion when they need it and the people are
demanding it. In three words, people voted overwhelmingly
in support of treatment. Trauma and the mayoral election
showed that people want to build a protest of Public Safety
that funds care and not cops, remove fleas from mental
health calls, fully fund treatment, and we can begin to
heal our city. Thank you.
Thank.
Thank you for your comments at next speaker is Kenneth,
Bella Costa.
Can.
Kenneth.
Goodbye.
Good morning. My name is Kenneth. Acosta and I am a
resident of the 35th ward in a licensed clinical.
Professional counselor. I've had the privilege of working
in many neighborhoods in the southwest side for over 20
years. As a counseling therapist event administrator, many
communities on the south and west side continued to suffer
from disinvestment. Specially mental health, currently
through July 22, violent crime, victimization is in the
city or up Citywide 11.7% robbery victimization Tsar up
33.5% Citywide compared to last year. 315 deaths due to
shooting areas such as Chatham East Garfield Park,
Washington Park, have increased, fatal shootings this year
by over 100%. This is not acceptable. We need to invest in
mental health. Now, working as an administrator, I can
attest a high weight list, four services, and sometime
unneeded competition on the part of non for profits
agencies for funding. We need to open
Harp Pub.
Are public metal. How
Are public mental health clinics now. They can be a hub to
the community to address and leak resources for
homelessness substance, abuse, support, financial support,
education and Trauma. All of these parts contribute to a
person's overall, mental health, our communities are
suffering. From trauma, are residents of Chicago deserve
access to Mental Health Service. We also need to have it be
on their crises research, show that trauma is ongoing and
treatment takes time as well residents suffering for
complex trauma. And in crises need responders who
understand that you are well-versed in Mental Health crisis
techniques. Police do not need to respond to Mental Health
crisis. A qualified mental health, professional in EMT is
what needed investing in mental health. Public mental
health is critical for creating a safer and more
economically stable, Chicago treatment. Not trauma, can do
this. Please support treatment.
I'm trying.
I'm trauma. Our city is depending on it.
Thank you for your comments.
Next picture is Curtis Harris.
The boy.
Good morning.
Do.
Good morning to the Chicago city council at my name is
Curtis cherish. I'm with Advanced your leadership h. A y p.
Hey.
A possibility organizing GroupMe instead Chicago I stand
before you cuz I have lived experience with mental illness
on the autism spectrum. I don't want hospitals.
To be absent. A significant Source in my life hospitals,
make me feel isolated and frustrated.
Aloo.
I lose control model.
like,
Life Choices. I experienced Forest Hospital station in 10
years. Weigh more than half of them when I did not need to
be there.
Aspen's hospitalization, because
better.
Better that control off light living room, one available.
We?
Reason why I support.
That's up Community. Emergency service support Act.
Is.
Is because I will have had left hospitalizations whoever.
I'm going to crisis.
Oh, well anxiety.
And I where I can't move. Make decisions down though. I
need help.
Apply.
I plan to ask her to call the warm line, my new Friday or
thresholds crisis hotline.
and,
And go to living room, my new Friday, and go to Ross on.
Living room sound makes a week, but it's not 24 hours. This
is enough part. Walk on the weekend. I had a crisis.
The Escalade two more accusing because of one of my clients
hotline.
I live.
Olivia.
A living room one novel.
that's,
That could have been where they help crisis again, work.
That's the time that we have for your comments. Thank you
so much. Thank you so much for coming and
Next speaker is Carlos. Paredes Las Vegas.
Hi, my name is Carlos Reyes. I'm part of the Burnham Park
neighborhood Council. I am here today to talk about drama.
Not trauma. I will be telling you a story about one of my
previous classmates experiences. I was in 5th grade. There
was a classmate that was rude to teachers gone, to several
altercations with other student that was just here. I was
just I misunderstood 10, nobody understood him. I hadn't
either until he told me, he had a hard relationship with
his parents and siblings. The very next day, he was not
there weeks turned into months, reaching the end of the
school year, he just came back, but something had changed.
He was acting a certain teachers, but not students.
He act.
He acted out and would punch other kids. Teachers try to
call him down but he was a struggling to control his
emotions. The next day he told me, cops came to his home
and garden me and threatened him with going back to the
mental health hospital told me. Nobody, there was helping
him.
Keto.
He told.
He told me after she felt sometimes like ending his life.
This is one example of a person who was struggling to get
to get the care. They needed this confused myself and all
Chicago and deserve care deserve love and deserve treatment
not trauma. Thank you.
Next speaker is Mariah Lynn.
I'm proud.
I'm probably wasting time by saying this but I thought it's
3 minutes. I'm going to try to do to. Hi, my name is Mara.
I'm here in support of treatment, not trauma. I've invested
my soul and advocating for basic human, right? I'm a
tireless advocate in a person live with non apparent
disabilities. You can't physically? See, my disability is
just like you can't see a person's mental health condition.
We all need to remember this. Especially the police. When
we say treatment, not trauma, we want Karen empathy, not
please, I've witnessed my fair,
What happened?
What happens when please show?
What happens when police show up to a mental health crisis
and it's never been helpful. Never police officers should
not be our City's First Responders when people are in need
of mental health, assistants too often. Those interactions
go wrong. And people who need help end up getting hurt.
Getting helps not be a death sentence. When when you are
having a mental health crisis, the last thing you want is
someone showing up at your door with out? Any compassion,
the uniform, their costs, a gun definitely isn't going to
help if we are suffering and don't want to live. Why would
this response? Make anyone want to stay alive? I'm speaking
from experience if someone was gone through this myself and
as someone who cares for folks, with developmental
disabilities, that have to deal with this crap all the
time, especially when there's no accountability. I don't
care if c p, d has CIT training, either even when asked
specifically for CIT officer, I've not seen any difference
mental health workers stabilizer. Folks, with mental health
conditions, not please, y'all know this, it doesn't have to
be this way. No one should be hurt or worse off because
they
What do you think?
with these condition.
With these conditions please. And the use of force is not a
rights respecting or effective response to mental health.
It just isn't if you're having a mental health crisis,
please reach out to 988. Not 911. The bottom line is what
we have is not working and in our mayor's own words. I want
to make sure that no one ever has to suffer because they do
not have access to Mental Health Services. This is just one
of the many reasons. I and many of my comrades worked
tirelessly to get our new neighbor elected.
You are.
you are enough and it's
You are enough and it's okay to not be okay. Please please
please pass your not, thank you.
Thank.
Thank you for responding. Next speaker, is Leticia new
song.
The more.
Good morning. My name is Leticia noose, and I'm a licensed
clinical social worker, and I'm also the president of the
National Association for social workers. Illinois, chapter,
and I'm here this morning to ask, for the councilman to
pass to support treatment. Trauma. Trauma is a model of
compassion that is much needed for our our, our Chicagoans,
it is important that we reopen the public, mental health
clinics and have a 9 police code respond, or model. It is
essential, I'm doing this time and current statistics
Why?
One.
One in five Americans experience, a mental health condition
in a given year 1 and 6. Young people have experienced a
major depressive disorder, 1 and 20. Americans have lived
with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia,
bipolar disorder or major depression. Additionally,
currently suicide is the leading cause of death in the
United States and in fact the second leading cause of death
for ages 10 to 24. This is current statistics from the
pandemic in 2020. That is double the number of lives lost
homicide in America. We are in a state of emergency, it
isn't
Working at the pub.
Working at the public Mental Health.
Working at the public mental health clinics be reopen and
that we have a coat that Napoles call respond to model as a
social worker. I know firsthand and my, my experience has
spent 20 years in mental health, we do not need police to
accompany us. We are well, capable and well-trained through
our years of training to intercede and helped the escalate
individuals who are Mental Health crisis. We lend our lands
from a trauma-informed approach, which police do not. And
so when we look at the statistics, one and four individuals
that are killed by police are have a mental health
diagnosis, one and four. And so that lets us know that we
need to do something different.
I'll
Also our Cook County, Correctional Facility is a half 30%
of its population that has a mental health diagnosis. So I
asked for you to please consider treatment natural
They?
Thank.
Thank you for your comments. Next speaker is on E or money.
Good morning. Can you hear me?
A good more.
A good morning. My name is Elena Gormley and I am a social
worker, and I'm a member of five different organizations
that are members of the collaborative Community Wellness,
including 48th, Ward neighbors, for justice social service
Workers United. The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, the
Chicago chapter of the national lawyers, Guild, and Chicago
Democratic socialists of America. I am part of the collab
different Community wellness. And I'm here to advocate for
supportive treatment. Trauma. This will reverse The Chronic
defunding of our public mental, Healthcare infrastructure
and bring a much higher standard of care for Chicago and
experiencing Mental. Health crisis, is basic Common Sense,
policy aligned with a code of ethics that I have to follow
that. Arturo has to follow up with that, Matt has to follow
and Leticia has to follow.
We are at.
We are at the point where almost every candidate for mayor
and his most recent election, including Paul vallas Express
support for treatment. Trauma. We are at a moment when a
woman Donna and Alderman, Ray Lopez have both publicly
demanded that nonprofit social service agencies to a far
greater transparency and accountability to the public. So,
right now as a practitioner and as someone who has lived
with quote, severe mental illness, my options for myself
and my clients are the hope that if something bad had
Send.
I'm in one of those very limited areas where there's a
pilot program I have to hope that maybe the carotene will
take my call or I have to hope that I can talk through
someone having the very worst day in their life, be special
Konami Code that they can say to hopefully not get beat up
or killed by the cops. This is completely unacceptable.
Put.
Polly.
Police are a danger to people in crisis and they are a
danger to every clinician that cdph expects to call respond
to these calls. I have witnessed police regularly, harass,
and social workers. I have seen, it's unacceptable and we
need treatment. Trauma.
Thank.
Thank you for your comments. Next speaker is Jasmine
Patino.
Hello, my name is jazz. I, I am a youth leader way,
Brighton, Park neighborhood Council. I am in the port of
German at your home because they can pain that shouldn't be
there, that should be approved because in a crisis
situation. The last thing that we need is police because it
will increase a situation and probably arrest a person with
a mental crisis. Instead, we should have a social worker
specialist in this to come and help the police only social
worker in next to Rio Pinar public, mental health clinics,
because people without papers are that can't afford
private.
Can.
Can, can I go to this our future? We can. We are the future
adults that will decide how this all turns out to be in the
future. We need to invest the money in the community, and
things are coming to do one such as the things that I know
before it anymore.
Thank.
Thank you for your comments. Next picture is John Wayne
fry.
Hello, John. Wayne fry. 33rd Ward Working Families. I'm
here today to speak in favor of treatment, not trauma.
If?
If you would take the time and talk to Chicago police
officers, it's the same story, you're tired, they're
overworked, they're angry, and they're pissed off now,
doesn't that sound like the person you want to handle a
mental health crisis?
Recently, I sat down and spoke to a police trainer sergeant
in a Tech Deck.
An.
and,
There.
They're all looking to get out.
Cuz they're tired of it.
An.
And they started joking about the calls that they never
wanted to get the one. I remember is the naked man in the
parking. Lot of McDonald's. I said, that's the last call.
They want to get, they got that call, they would never use
the siren. They would never hit the lights, they would take
as much time as they could to get to that call. Because the
last thing they want to do is Chase a naked man, around the
parking lot at McDonald's.
cuz,
cuz you,
Cuz you catching got to put a blanket around him. We were
going to hose out the back of you were being worse. He goes
for your gun and you shoot him and so, you lose your house,
your spouse, your career over. What? Because Rahm Emanuel.
Shut. Down the clinics 10 years ago and Lori Lightfoot,
never open them up again. The police don't want these calls
to send out mental health professionals.
Thank.
Thank you.
Thank.
Thank you for your partner's. Next speaker is generally
Salinas.
Hell.
Hello everyone. My name is Jerry. Lee Salinas and I am a
youth leader with Brighton Park, Elementary neighborhood
Council. And I am here in support of treatment, not from I
support this campaign because I am someone who suffers from
depression and I know a lot of people out there so I can
from it as well. I want Cops removed from crisis response
like going to someone's house when they're having a panic
attack or any other crisis. Because I know if it would mean
I'd be too scared to call and ask for help. If I knew cause
you're going to respond.
Minecraft.
When cops respond to a crisis, they won't care by your help
how you feel or what made you feel that way, they will
arrest you and put you in jail. For example, when I was
sexually assaulted when I, what I needed, was someone to
talk to to help me feel so not cops because I was scared
that they would say that I was lying victimizing, myself,
were wanted attention and it would take me to a facility
where they was. I was crazy or something. I want our city
council to open our Mental Health Centers, and make them
more accessible for our people, no matter their migrations,
that is or how much money they make. I want mental health
care, that treats us like people. I want the city to shut
down the amount of money that goes towards the police, and
take some of the money from the vacant positions and that
it's more mental health sensors.
Officer support investing in our treatment of trauma means
investing in young people in our communities.
Barnett.
Our next speaker is Coronavirus.
Hello, my name is Karina Perez and I'm a leader with the
Brighton Park neighborhood Council for too long. We have
had various elected officials who have disregarded our
safety and right to appropriate, mental health care and
have him play. Shut down our clinics and left us to the
mercy of police officers who are not trained mental health
professionals. Instead of being met with kindness and
compassion. In our most vulnerable moment, we are met with
judgement and fear growing up in Chicago I have been
witness to the way that young people are constantly met
with the lack of access to the resources they need when I
was in elementary. If we ever experienced a crisis we were
given detention or suspension. We what we really needed was
support and guidance
People in.
People in my community have struggled and continue to
struggle to receive access to mental health care. I am
tired of seeing young people time and time again, be
restricted and deprived of the resources that they could
greatly benefit from their needs, to be investment before a
crisis occurs, and long-term support. After healing is not
a one-and-done situation, but requires consistent care,
young people across the city deserve to feel safe here for
it and looked up her Pleas Court Juvenile. Trauma, I think
you
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Next speaker is Jada Potter.
More.
Morning. My name is Jada I am a resident of the 20th word,
little over a year ago. I wanted to end my life. I will
never even in that moment. Small part of me realize that I
needed to reach out for help. So I called my school
therapist on call, who probably called the authorities
soon. Three armed police officers arrived and crowded into
my tiny dorm room. They began berating me with questions,
like, where is the weapon? And are you on any drugs or
narcotics, Layton assumptions and language, that had
nothing to do with what I was experiencing are needing. I
couldn't find the strength to respond to their Brazen
questions. All I can do is cry. I felt invisible.
All.
All I need.
All I needed was a gentle empathetics presents to reassure
me and help me calm down. The lawn interrogation. When they
got no answer the officer has proceeded to drag me out of
my dorm room at 3 in the morning, they showed no concern
for my privacy. Either walkie-talkie is echoed loudly as
they clambered with me down the hallway and pass the desk
clerk. When they try to put me in the back of the police
car, I had to beg them to wait for the ambulance to arrive.
I am unbelievably grateful that I'm alive today and Beyond
proud of my recovery in the stronger person that I've
become. But I just wish that in that dark moment of my
life.
Why, did?
Why, did not have to be hiding by those police officers who
treated me? Like I was a potential criminal, not a human
being in pain and in need of compassion, people like me and
not moment, social workers to respond to their call
professionals, who are actually trained to handle crises
like this. This is why I urge you also support treatment,
not trauma a policy that would not only ensure that people
undergoing Mental Health crisis, get the Compassionate
Care, they deserve it. Also that our city has affordable
and accessible mental health clinics with without
prohibitive, Lee long, wait list that would help prevent
crises like these in the first place. Thank you.
Thank.
Thank you for your comments. Next speaker is that Leila
Martinez.
How?
Hello everyone. My name is Delilah Martinez and I am a
youth leader with Brighton, Park neighborhood, Council and
City. I want to voice my strong support for treatment.
Trauma. And why is it important to have in our community
mental health is a pressing issue that affects countless
individuals who grapple with emotional and stressful
circumstances. That's why I strongly believe that reopening
of public mental health clinics is a critical step towards
providing much-needed support and resources for those in
need of assistance. Fortunately accessibility to Mental
Health Care, remains a significant challenge with only five
public clinics available and many individuals struggling to
access the resources. They
Play.
Choir. This issue is deeply personal to me as my aunt
suffers from schizophrenia and is unable to receive the
medication. She needs due to the lack of accessible
clinics. In this situation is exacerbated when she
experiences an episode of the evolved made of law
enforcement and further, exacerbating her fear and anxiety.
While police presence is often deemed necessary in certain
situations, it's essential to consider the potential risks
and consequences that may arise from relying solely on law
enforcement. This is especially true for marginalized
communities who have historically face, disproportionate
levels of a police brutality and discrimination leading to
further violence and Trauma by scoring alternative
Solutions and invested in community-based. Resources, we
can work towards creating a safer and more Equitable
society that profits vs. Julian understanding. Thank you
very much.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Our last speaker is that
Archie Sharma?
Hello, my name is Terry. She I'm currently entering my
third year of medical school also pursuing a master's in
medical Humanities and bioethics. And I'm here to share a
story that someone actually older. T was brave enough to
share friend of mine. Few years ago was experiencing
suicidal, ideations he said exactly what all of our
deceased
Manti.
man ties, mental illness can
Man ties, mental illness campaigns encouraged him to do. He
ask for help, he wants a counseling services and he
disclosed that he had been having suicidal ideations in the
past week and that he needed help, he needed resources. You
need a community within less than an hour. He was in
handcuffs.
Mulch.
Multiple police members escorted him against his will to
the hospital for the next 72 hours. He was held at the
psych ward without his phone against his. Well, patient.
Autonomy thrown out the door handcuffs as bad. This is the
state of our Healthcare. This is the state of our
treatment. I'm ashamed to belong to an institution as
someone who wanted to become a psychiatrist. Understanding
that this is the reality that we are legally bound to call
police, as our first response to suicidal, ideation to
Mental Health. Crisis. Treatment. Trauma is the best
solution. The city has right now and subverting this. Thank
you.
Thank.
Thank you so much for your comments. I want to that's all
the time that we have for public, but I really want to
thank everybody that came in today to talk about the issue
at hand, but also to share your stories.
It is necessary for us to be able to listen to you is
necessary for governance for Effective and Humane Co
governance for us to be able to listen to you. Thank you so
much for being here today. Before I start, I would like to
ask my vice-chair other woman I meet us to come stay with
us here. I believe that we received 40 emails with public
comment with written public comment. We will be sending
those to the members of the committee so you can see what
other comments. People had our first item of business is
resolution are 2020. 3000, 29219 to go for subject matter
hearing on the expansion of access to public Mental Health
Services in Chicago. Can I get a motion to recommend
approval of this resolution?
Good.
Good morning. Madam chairman is one of knowledge that I am
here like to be present for the broken elbow.
Like to make.
Like to make the mission. Thank you all.
All those in favor of passing. This resolution play signify
by saying I
I am.
Anyone opposed say no and the motion passes I will report
this boat as a recommendation to pass in the next city
council meeting.
The.
The next item that we have is a subject matter hearing.
On a definition of access to Mental Health Services in
Chicago. And for these items we have a group of people that
are going to be testifying today. I want to acknowledge the
people in the box that we have butter, Erik Reinhart. We
have the Toradora, Kari, Jobe We are going to have a people
from across the country that are going to come. Talk to us
about different models of mental health. Among those are
Dave jaskie. We also have Candace Coleman from access
living and I will introduce you to our finalists for the
second part of this here. We're going to divide this
hearing in two parts were going to start with the context
of Public Health in the city.
Going to list.
Going to listen to the big picture.
going to listen to the big picture, you will have a chance
to ask questions after
and,
I know, it will take a very short break and we will come
into the Practical aspect of his hearing, which is
listening and hearing from people across the country who
are doing the work, from three different cities were going
to have people from Denver, from Portland and Albuquerque
where all the way in crisis response and Care work.
I,
I want to acknowledge the people in the box from the city
from cdph, we have to be the commissioner Matt Richards. We
also have director of public policy. Kate McMahon from the
mayor's office, we have the Bohemian Public Safety during
Gatewood. We have Deputy Mayor on education, Jenn Johnson,
a chief policy, director, Tony Christie, Christie. And
first, Deputy Mayor and policy, Juan, Sebastian, I would
like to give some remarks before we start this hearing
today. We all know that.
We want to acknowledge Other Woman Stephanie Coleman and
add her to the role. Thank you for being here Other Woman.
We all know that it's been a long time for us to be able to
come to this moment and I would like to open with some
remarks associated with the work that we have been going.
As many of, you know, in 2020, we introduced the first
version of what came to be known as treatment. No, trauma
in the forms of the crisis response and Care Council order.
We rode this legislation in collaboration with the
collaborative for Community Wellness, who have been
fighting for almost a decade to reopen. The cities, mental,
health centers in, was written in the wake of the murder of
George, Floyd by police, and I miss a racial Reckoning that
pushed us to imagine Humane ways to keep us safe. It was
also an acknowledgement of the urgency to create systems of
care. That could protect the lives of people experiencing
crisis by using the height. The right behavioral health
support, instead of armed police, since then, with create a
strong movement that has advocated for the creation of a
model, that can be proactive.
Piper.
By providing the mental health care, communities need
responding to instances of Mental Health, crisis and
providing follow-up care.
Tomorrow, we have proposed includes reopening the shutter
cities, Mental Health Centers, expanding those services to
create 24-hour, walk-in crisis centers, expand the crisis
response work, and create a community care Corps that can
proactively identify the needs, so that we can prevent
crisis. Since we introduced our Council order in 2020, we
have continued learning about all the
Abilities for the.
Abilities. For this work. We have visited all their CDs to
learn about models being used and continued researching
best practices and advocating for them. We know that in
order to have a safe City, we need to ensure that our most
vulnerable people. The most at risk are protected when all
that black and brown people. Specially black people are
most likely to be harmed or killed by police during Mental
Health crisis. We know that we can save precious Life by
caring for people instead of criminalizing them and that's
what today at hearing is about. This is the first step in a
discussion that has been years in the making. So I can't we
can figure out together how to create this much-needed
systems of care.
Beef.
if I,
Before we begin, I would like to have a minute of silence
for all the people who have been killed or harmed by police
in our city during a mental health, emergency, because we
did not have the structures in place to help them. We start
this hearing in the name of Antonio, liquor liquor Betty
Jones Arena, Chaves laquan McDonald, and so many others who
did not receive the care. They desperately needed. This
work is for them, their loved ones and to ensure this never
happens again, I would like a minute of Silence.
Thank.
Thank you, everybody. I believe that we also have in the Box
members of afscme and Ina. Would you, please introduce
yourself if you were here today?
No.
Okay.
Oh, you're here. Okay, thank you so much for being here. We
are going to start our hearing now.
where,
With the testimony of dr. Erik Reinhart who is going to
give us a little bit of contacts around the state of Public
Health currently and the need for the model that we have
been advocating for the star Eric. Bring her with you mind.
Introducing yourself stayed in your name and proceeding
your testimony.
Hi. I'm Eric reinhart's, I'm a little kind of pathologist
of Public Health and law, a physician, and a psychoanalyst
spent 10 years doing at the graphic research, on the
southwest side of Chicago with individuals, living with
serious mental illness, observing their experience as they
passed through a criminal legal systems, the absence of
care and the need for precisely what we're talking about
here.
Treat.
Treatment. Trauma is very visceral for me as it is for many
people. I think that was evident to the public comment.
Many of us have lost friends and family members to police
violence in response to Mental Health crisis and so it is
perfectly understandable and appropriate.
That.
That non-police crisis response. By the public focus is a
risk. I think of losing sight of the fact that you've been
no trauma is not simply about mobile, please crisis
response, but it's necessarily part of an inch of woven
system for building a real public Community Mental Health
System. In Chicago, setting, the city has never had and the
frankly, no American city has ever had.
and then,
In the 1950s and 60s us psychiatric Care. Mental Health
Care was dominated by large State institutions, in which
people were involuntarily. Captain ocean System. Case is
not merely capture. These institutions are permeated by
abuse, extremely, poor conditions, begin to Patient LED
movements Patient, Advocate, that moves to close them. They
were appropriately clothed in the 1950s and 60s. And what
every leader in the field of Public House of mental health,
at the time, is that we need to build a different model, a
model of Community Mental Health, and there were efforts to
do. So you had them in Chicago with the opening of the
first cdph, Mental Health Center in 1959 and over the
subsequent decade 18 more. You had them in New York and
places for you to model program like at the Lincoln
Hospital in the South Bronx and what these programs
emphasized in mid-century
Was.
Was that mental illness, the vast majority of mental illness
and suffering, this country is preventable.
We?
We need to invest in prevention, that does not necessarily
consists of psychiatric medications or even seeing a
psychiatrist or therapist but appears support workers the
model that was rolled out in the 1960s. A great success was
invested in prevention, infusing resources into Community
allowed to care for one another. This then collapsed
largely because the lack of funding and because of pressure
from the medical industry and the medical granting
infrastructure, that required to inform me to Medical
models of Response. Medical models of care, but you're not
built around pure support, professional or peer support
workers, who are trained to do this work, would rather
psychiatrist and others who can bill and get. Well,
compensated for this kind of work. This medical model,
apply to pressure that really undercuts. The development of
Community Mental Health. In the US that has suffered as a
consequence, since we had in the. That's what the rise of
the war on crime, and the war on poverty with devastating
consequences when the war and crime War on Drugs,
Over to.
Overtook the war on poverty, which was left behind. The
consequence of that is that mental health has been.
Criminalize poverty has been criminalized for four decades
in this country.
Quince.
Quincy.
Coincident with that. You had a major shift in US public
health, in Chicago, under Harold, Washington in the 1980s,
the city of Chicago was the largest provider of Ambulatory
Care Services in the city. We had 19 clinics, they were
underfunded but they were operating. They were vital to
communities in the 1990s, many of those Clinics of the
centers and broader, social support of his pressure was
privatized render, the domain of nonprofit organizations,
that, in some cases, do excellent work in the absence of
public systems were, never meant to be a replacement for
public systems, but became so, what we have now is a
wolfley inadequate Community Mental Health, a structured
such that we have forty thousand calls with the mental
health components. Going to see PD in 2019 that they do not
want to respond to that. They are not well-suited to
respond to the results and unnecessary, please contact,
unnecessary violence, necessary arrests, and that's their
incarceration in a country with incarceration rate, that is
7 times that appear Nations.
and,
And has no better Public Safety. As a consequence. In fact,
it's worse, our violence rates are worse.
Reitman.
Treatment KT, Rama is an agenda to build a community mental
health infrastructure, that has three different parts and
requires a force.
it's
It's developing a mobile non-police crisis response system,
its reopening a total of 19 Mental Health Centers as
stabilization side. So that when somebody has a crisis may
need to be taken someplace safe with support. They have a
place to go that these would operate as 24-hour centers,
and really importantly, the third part of treatment. Trauma
is the investment in the community care Corps. We will
never have enough therapist and a psychiatrist to respond
to the unmet need in our communities. We need that. We need
those Professional Services. That's really important.
What's the?
What's the best?
What's the best way to deliver Karen? This is being
developed around. The world Vikram. Patel is a very
esteemed researcher psychiatrist. At Harvard has been
studying this around the world. The best systems for a
meditation or those that deploy non-professional people who
have been trained to provide care to their peers. I have
lived experience that has been valued well-compensated. We
compensate police officers in the city fairly. Well, we do
not make similar investments in care, workers Community
Health worker. Jobs are often regarded as poverty wage jobs
because we have not invested in that they're usually
through nonprofits, that don't have a good labor standards,
there isn't investment in the grand Macon to enable is not
promised to pay people properly, people respond to the
compensation to give them. If you didn't defy, her support
workers with proper wages and protections, like we give
four examples of police officers, people respond. This is
the infrastructure that we need. This is what treatment.
Trauma.
About the 4th.
About the 4th piece of treatment. Roman needs is massive
increases in funding to the Chicago Department of Public
Health. The Chicago Department of Public Health has shrunk
dramatically over the last 40 years. It is today one of the
most defunded, large city, public health departments in the
country, it is dependent on federal grants for about 90% of
its funding. This is unique among large city, public health
departments Department,
when you were,
When you are dependent on federal grant. Grant sorry, Mark
for specific purposes. We can't just take them and use them
to build treatment, not, for example, we can't use covid
money, emergency money to build durable infrastructure,
that we can then sustain, without a corporate allocation,
from the city budget.
What city Patriots right now is inadequate in order to make
treatment. Trauma possible. In order to build a functional
Public Health Department, would we just seen two no-fault
necessarily of its administrators?
Like departments around the country. It's failed during the
pandemic weed over a million deaths in this country because
our Public Health infrastructure is the worst among wealthy
nations in the world are Healthcare System. Is the worst
among wealthy Nations the world because we have invested
repeatedly in reaction rather than in preventive
infrastructure treatment. Trauma is investment in
preventive. In the structure that is not about talk down
technocracy in biosurveillance that does not generate trust
among the population. It's about investing in workers from
our communities with dignified jobs at Big 5.
Cousin. Sal's Gourmet.
Housing sales are major intervention than proof to UNI
mental health. The den enables trust building relationships
to prevent mental health and behavioral crisis. But also, a
broad range of medical crises that arise from a lack of
support of contact in connection with care.
This.
This is essential for rebuilding Public Health in Chicago
and around the country. This is not been done. Many leaders
will hear from Dave, talk to you later has called they call
for this publicly, we need to invest in a large-scale
community health worker core. For example, which TNT is
very similar to. But its focus specifically on Mental
Health in doubt. This is investment that we need to make in
the city of Chicago. And it will return, massive savings.
There are many, many studies of other cities that have
done, not what we're proposing. Nothing. So robust as what
we're proposing, but I've done for example of built-out
non-police mobile crisis, response systems and each one of
the major studies of these programs shows the major savings
for City improve outcomes, improve working conditions for
police officers. These are widely supported by police
departments around the country. This should not be an
oppositional matter with the police.
This.
This is an essential investment in the people of Chicago.
so,
Set.
So we stopped resorting to reactive medical models and
reactive police models and instead invest in prevention,
which is the core of Public Health. It's the core committee
while since the core of good governance, which we have
lacked in this domain for decades. This is an opportunity
under unique Administration, a unique moment after the
pandemic that has showed people that are Public Health
Systems.
is my
Bismo.
Abysmal in need to be fundamentally reorganized. This is an
opportunity to do something extraordinary for the city of
Chicago, but also to demonstrate a different model of
Public Health. It is needed around the country. And if you
are looking to you to give us a possibility,
Thank.
Thank you. That's our Erik Reinhart.
No.
Now, we will be hearing from dr. Arturo Castillo, he is a
licensed clinical social worker and deputy director of
health and violence prevention at Brighton Park
neighborhood Council that I'm going to let him introduce
himself and talk a little bit about contacts when it comes
to the fight or the public mental health centers.
Good morning. I see members of the city council. My name is
Arturo Carrillo. I'm the deputy director house in violence?
Prevention for Brighton, for Brighton, Park neighborhood
Council. And one of the Kool-Aid to the collaborative for
Kenny Wallace, I'm licensed clinical, social worker and I
hold a PHD in social work from the University of Illinois,
Chicago.
How's?
I also had the honor of serving to make your friend and
Johnson the transition committee on Health and Human
Services.
The collaborative for Jimmy Wallace, which I'm here
representing. Today is comprised of community leaders
represent as a nonprofit organization, local political
organization, mental health, practitioners academics, and
many others care about the mental health access for Chicago
wins as a human right.
Today I'm here to share with you a body of work developed
by a coalition that spanned over five years. When we
introduced our first study here in City Hall back in 2018,
the report titled uplifting voices to create New
Alternatives. Documenting the Mental Health crisis for
adults in Chicago, Southwest side with a community-based.
Participatory research project conducted with various
Community Based organizations and nonprofits to document
the disparity. The mental health access for residents of
Chicago Southwest side. Since then we have conducted
various other Studies have supported the creation of our
treatment. Not trauma policy. Proposal introduced in 2020.
And under consideration today,
Over the weekend, we held a beautiful Summit in Woodlawn.
What are?
What are the neighborhoods devastated by the closures of
seven public mental health centers in 2012,
Are.
Our Coalition it was a full circle moment.
Are we saw?
Our research released in 2018, was conducted to document.
The impact of those closures on residents of the southwest
side, where the Back of the Yards, Mental Health Center was
shuttered,
Austin.
I'll send her that the previous administration refused to
reopen and remains vacant to this day.
At.
At the summit, our new mayor committed to reopening the
centers and and recognize the necessity of doing something
different.
On Saturday, our Coalition released a white paper outlining
what is needed to change in order for the mental health
infrastructure to be rebuilt to correct, the harm calls on
the communities by this enormous investment.
The way.
The white paper titled treatment, not trauma. A community
care, infrastructure for crisis response, mental health,
and shared safety will be shared with all the members of
the council, and is available to the public on our website
collaborative for Community Wellness. Org.
DePaul.
The palace.
The policy paper was a collaborative production that
highlighted local and National research that explains the
reasons and helps shape recommendations on what Chicago
with truly need to do in order to create something
different that can bring healing to communities ravaged by
disinvestment, violence poverty and intergenerational
Trauma left. Untreated for way too long.
Our proposal takes a comprehensive approach to community
safety, that look for full investment in prevention,
support during crisis, that removes the risk of harm to the
vigil in those crises.
and,
And which can provide the proper Aftercare needed to make
sure that these crises do not repeat.
He calls for the creation of a community care Corps, which
introduces trained non-professional to be proactive, and
engaging Community residents at high risk before they enter
into crisis situations.
The.
That up until now have elicited a response by the police.
As we heard the speakers today and bring potential harm and
large Financial cost of the city,
it's
It calls for reopening 14, public mental health centers,
that can create the infrastructure, that was closed by the
daily and Emmanuel ministrations. And was not reopened by
the light for the ministration.
If?
East Public Health Centers will serve as a community care
base of operations for non police crisis response teams at
Community Care, Workforce necessary to respond to the
crisis and provide the proper after care that people
deserve.
Fine.
Find.
Finally, I want to end by providing a quick recap of some of
the research conducted by a coalition that informed our
recommendations about into the white paper.
And I'm here to answer any questions. You may have
regarding our findings.
It's why?
In 2018, we conducted a survey of nearly 3,000 Community,
residence, on the southwest side of Chicago.
We?
We found that there was an overwhelming demand for mental
health services, for 80% of respondents said it would that
they would seek professional support from up for their
personal problems.
and if
And in fact, it was a structural barriers of care, not
stigma. That was keeping them from services.
In.
in a
In our study 57% of respondents reported cost was a main
barrier while only 11% reported stigma as what was keeping
them from accessing care.
in June of 2019, after the city council, voted unanimously
to re-examine where public Mental Health Centers, should be
reopen
Ark.
Our Coalition documents are the recommendations of
community residents that attended, the only public hearing
on the matter since that will take place.
They?
The.
The Huey.
The hearing held at Malcolm X.
and,
Include a community residence in 30 Community areas and 22
wards.
Turn.
The recommendations presented by Community residents
documented, in a report captured the essence of what
services and supports Community residents would like to see
from the public mental health centers.
It's
In 2020, we were able to map out where all the therapists
operate in Chicago are located by ZIP code.
The results of a study are sounding. It tells A Tale of Two
Cities.
We're 3/4 / 3/4 of the population. 79% live in ZIP codes
that have .19 therapist for 1000 Community residence.
and,
And the other half of the city, the other quarter of the
city, 21% living areas.
What is?
Are the city that have 4.2 therapist for 1000 Community
resident.
Those.
Those areas. As you can imagine our areas of high household
income twice, that of the areas of the low access areas of
the city that we found in our study.
In 2021, we replicated the 2018 study mentioned. Before
this time, we surveyed residents from all 50 words.
we found a
We found that 94% of residents would consider seeking
emotional support by professional as a way of dealing with
her personal problems.
9.
94% of 6 Highway.
An overwhelming 90% of respondents answered that. Yes. Or
probably guess they would consider a sticking out. Mental
Health Services from a city-run public Mental Health Center
in a neighborhood.
I can.
I can't think of another survey question, which she get 90%
of the comments agree on.
How are?
however, more than three-quarters of the respondents 77.4%
of the survey respondents were unaware, that the city had
an operated five public mental health centers,
what?
Once.
Once again, it was a Structure bear and not stigma. That
was keeping people from care, our study showed that 68% of
respondents Citywide report. A cost with a big is
prohibitive. Bear attack are while only 11% reported
stigma,
All.
Also in 2021, we surveyed all city-funded private Mental
Health Providers. Nonprofit medical providers. That were
part of the early stages of the development of the
trauma-informed. Care model, touted by the previous
administration as the answer to my Dell taxes. Were all
Chicago, the study found that despite the high demand for
mental health support, limited availability of resources
impeded committee resident from accessing the mental. The
mental health needs entertaining optimal well-being.
Please set.
These centers.
Add.
as a
As a number of organizations have been added to the
trauma-informed centers of care. We continue to have
anecdotal evidence that those providers are still plagued
with limitations and waitlist.
In 2022 using publicly available data through the city of
Chicago's office of Inspector. General replied, we plotted
911. Behavior house calls per 1,000 residents in every area
of the city between January one, 2019 and February 8th.
2022 findings from this mapping project.
in the
Indicated that Ward's with the highest rate of Behavioral
Health. 911 calls tend to be concentrated in areas of the
city, where the city clothes public, mental health centers,
This.
This is particularly evident in our data on Chicago's South
Side where this investment had led to else with a public
health center closures in 2023. We conducted the
first-of-its-kind Citywide survey asking Chicago, in what
they would like to see as we build a Citywide crisis
response program.
Over to.
Over three-quarters 77% of respondents said that they would
only want to have mental health services provided by a
clinician and not a police officer an even larger. Majority
94% said that pure support specialist someone with lived
experience to be part of crisis response teams.
Final.
Finally.
Respondents agreed.
That Christ.
the crisis team should connect the person in crisis to
long-term Services after mental health, emergencies are
resolved
9.
96% against 96% of Chicago and ask for long-term care to be
associated with crisis response. This long-term care can
and will be provided by Chicago public Mental Health
Centers as we reestablish the system and its
infrastructure. That is absolutely necessary for the
well-being of all Chicago. Thank you.
Thank.
Thank you. Okay. Nice. Talking to hear from Candice Coleman
from access living. She's the community organizer on racial
Justice.
As Rosanna said, I am a Community Development organizer for
racial Justice focus on people with disabilities. I cannot
believe we're still having this conversation. First of all,
I want to give honor to those who giving their testimony
one. Because when you give that testimony Yuri,
Leave your excuse.
Leave your experience every time and I just want to
apologize on human Humanity that you have to keep telling
the story it. So thank you for being brave courageous and
putting your anxiety aside so you can share your stories
because it's extremely important. The other thing is that,
we've been hearing these stories at in advance released the
power for the past 10 + 11 years, right after laquan
McDonald was killed quintonio legrier was killed. The phone
watches killed. The numbers of people with disabilities who
are getting harmed and hurt by police officers with
skyrocketing across the country and Advance your leadership
power decided that we just couldn't keep taking very
preventive, death to keep happening to our people. Just to
prove a point that we need to change this system.
It'd be a strong leadership power believed in research,
that majority of the 9-1-1 calls were instances where
people were having low prices situations that turn into
volatile situation and could have been intervene at the
point that they were asking and seeking help. But as a
particular point and it's work, we didn't have a mobile
crisis response unit or even an alternative to have the
conversation to decriminalize, mental and Behavioral
Health.
From the groomer.
From the criminal justice system.
From the criminal justice system, all these people in all
these experts are saying the same thing. And you don't need
me to reiterate. The fact is that on the Continuum of Care,
if we can get to a point that we catch where people say
that they need help so that they don't have to be forced
into the criminal justice system is where we need
treatment. Not trauma.
No.
Natick Community, emergency services and support Act was
burned out of looking at those 911 calls. After looking at
the fact that the mental health clinics will close on the
south in the west side and after really surveying, the fact
that people who had lived experience going through these
processes and discovering that they did not want to go into
the hospital. They did not want to go into the criminal
justice system. And quite frankly, we had some instances
where people were afraid to call any form of help because
they didn't want to go to either situation.
What are we doing? Why do we have to have his hearing? Why
do we have to have political figure saying that, they
support this? When we know we need to sit down at a table
talk to each other, figure out where the gas line supports
and services are listen to those who lived through this,
and for Pete's sake, we survived the pandemic. Imagine what
that has done to each and every individual talk, own
missile, help, and support? And we keep asking these cops
are going to show up and they got their own stuff that they
Every.
every day that they could be dealing with a crime, instead
of dealing with people who need support
We call an ambulance for any other thing that we can think
of we can't figure out a service to call for a missing
behavioral health support. We should not be locked behind
institution or homeless on the street on any of these other
situations because we can't figure it out. We are smarter
generation. We are ten years behind and we could do better.
And so the community emergency services and supports Act
was first to do three things. One, it was to provide a
crisis unit that dealt with those low-acuity situation.
Everybody says, oh my God, we can't have this service
because you're putting people at risk and they could be
hurt. You already have a plan for that was the plan for
situations that don't include that.
The plants.
The plan for the most criminalized situation is very low
statistic rate of those happening. And so we have to take
that imagery are on my, I'm not saying it doesn't exist,
I'm saying that we already have a plan. We have to stop
making a plan for
The.
The most.
The most extreme situation that includes violence or
includes criminal activity. And we stop we need to stop.
Criminalize people who are suicidal.
It's
And so we need to come up with a plan that deals with a
larger population of people that is calling for help. When
they know they need it. I heard somebody say they have
anxiety. They can't make decisions they need help
immediately. Let's get the help that they need. So that's
the point. 1.2 is that our system is so fragmented. It is a
guessing game as to where people need to. Go to get mental,
behavioral, health support. So there should be a
conversation among those services and supports the
Emergency Response Team and us as Community leaders to
figure out where are those services and support, where are
the gas? And where do we actually send people who had, who
want to go to the living room or to the local Clinic that
was closed. So should be reopened and figure out how to
transport people to where they want to go so that they can
get the help that they know they did and a person who has
relationship to them and then the last thing,
We?
We talked.
We talked about mental health as as if it's one pocket and
everybody has the same sentence. Everyone don't have the
same symptoms people have dual diagnosis. Some people are
on the autism spectrum. Some people have silent seizures.
Tell me why various situations that require this type of
emergency response. But we keep labeling. And one thing and
painting is one picture and creating this one stigma, and
that's just not reflective of the community that we live
in. And so we have to have an accurate count of what that
actually looks like. And that is the three things that the
community emergency reporting Services act, mandated is
that when we communicate with each other, with what these
services are about and what's available, and how do we plan
for the future, that we create an accurate count of who the
services are 4 and 3/4, the people who've never
communicated before this legislation even exist? It's
actually have a conversation.
Are in a.
And in the conversation we should not put the criminal
justice system at the top of the conversation, if they be a
part of me, but not the first, we have to listen to people
who live through this one day. It could be any of us.
And so I leave you with that cuz I know the stats have been
laid out but I just want to say that and I want to thank
you for having this hearing because it's extremely
important. And again, thank you to everyone who's spoken
and shared their stories. Have a good day.
Thank.
Thank you so much, Candice. We have heard from three people
who have been working non-stop in our city to address the
mental health needs of of people in to care for people and
now we're going to move on to hear from dr. Dave schelske
he's a former commissioner of the New York City Department
of Health and mental hygiene. And he's going to talk to us
about the efforts building Public Health Systems in New
York City, which I think that we can learn something from.
Are we ready to listen to dr. Shumsky
Can.
Can you hear us? Doctor. Sasuke can hear you two. Are you
able to hear me?
I'm here. Are you give me Madam chair?
I can, I can hear you now. I think we all can all hear you
now. Thank you so much for being with us today.
I'm
A thank-you chair Rodriguez, Sanchez, and to the council
for the invitation to offer testimony. Today, I'm as you
just mention, I served as New York City's health,
commissioner did that through most of the covid-19
pandemic. And during those extraordinary really difficult
times, I compared notes with and learned much from my
colleagues in Chicago at, cdph & Beyond. So I'm really
pleased to continue this collaboration across two of the
nation's greatest cities. A particularly on such an
important topic. Look in the wake of the devastation and
suffering Rock by the pandemic. Our national dialogue ought
to revolve around universal healthcare, massive investment
in Public Health, Integrated Health, and Social systems.
And yes, expanded access to Mental Health Services as a
vital component of well-being.
Is it?
The city.
The city of Chicago has a chance to be at the Vanguard of a
bold new approach to these issues. One, that allows all
Chicagoans to thrive economically, to be safe and to be
healthy. I saw the rest of my short. Remarks will focus on
how drawing upon some of our experience in New York City.
But really, they can be summarized in just three were
Community public and investment Community, public and
investment. So allow me to briefly elaborate on each one.
So first community and public health must have the humility
to acknowledge that local groups and residents are often
more trusted by the people we serve, then are well,
credential doctors and health officials. This was the
animating idea behind one of the initiatives that I'm proud
of stub for my 10-year. The NYC Public Health core, which
was a 235 million dollar investment in line. Hundreds of
community health workers providing services. In
historically disinvested neighborhoods, these lay workers
operate as a trusted bridge between professional
practitioners and the general public community health
workers, use existing relationships with houses of worship,
local businesses and Community groups to build a network
committed to creating a healthier neighborhood. They helped
guide the health department as to what local services are
most needed and they also serve as advocates surfacing, the
deeper
Where did?
Rooted issues, requiring policy change, weather related to
affordable housing or criminal justice.
I'm
I know that in Chicago, as in New York City community
health workers were a vital part of covid response
particularly during our vaccination campaigns and
treatment. Not trauma has a chance to build on that through
the massive expansion of community workers, who live in the
neighborhoods, they serve and are valued for the lived
experience, they bring to their interactions with neighbors
Behavioral Health needs. I also know the TNT is designed
from the bottom up and has been led by patient and family
advocates from the beginning.
Well, people in relationships are always the most important
part of any health program. In my experience, another
aspect of community is focusing on destinations in our
community.
This is too often ignored particularly when it comes to
mental health and substance use for instance, many cities,
and states have invested in Outreach, and engagement teams.
For people suffering from a behavioral health issue,
although Outreach is no doubt, important public officials
must pair it with the right destination for people. So
they're not just shuttled back and forth among the
emergency departments shelters or other temporary
facilities and the streets in New York City. This was part
of the reason we launched the nation's first to overdose
prevention centers or supervisor.
Consumption facility.
Consumption facilities. They provided a new destination to
help interrupt The Vicious Cycles that played patients
suffering from opioid addiction /. 945 New Yorkers. Add
overdoses. Reversed. As a result of these life-saving
centers that's far in the same vein, I know that the
treatment not trauma plan under consideration would
significantly expand physical spaces, such as mental health
centers, to provide new destinations for Chicagoans in
crisis.
Is.
This leads me to the second pillar that I wish to touch on
public nationally. I've argued that we need to put the
public back into public health, weed less private equity
and help where, and Healthcare and more public ownership of
health services. This is particularly true when it comes to
access to Mental Health Services in New York City, close to
60% of all of the behavioral health care provided in the
city is through nychealthandhospitals. The public
Healthcare System while some systems in the city have
closed, their behavioral health units, due to financial
losses, nychealthandhospitals, double down because of its
mission to serve everyone because it is a public system.
My team at the health department, complimented this chair
through funding for intensive, mobile treatment teams,
support and connection centers, that offer an alternative
to avoidable, emergency room, visits, or criminal, justice
intervention, and Supportive Housing.
When?
When I reviewed the treatment of trauma plan, I was
heartening to see a similar focus on public resources,
particularly for Mental Health crisis response. This is one
Arena where public health and Public Safety convert just as
health signifies more than the absence of disease, Public
Safety. And bodies far more than the absence of crime as
you just heard. So, eloquently from his colon and a key
aspect is support for emotional and mental well-being, from
society when needed along with material support for basic
needs. Now although I understand the focus of treatment not
trauma is prevention of mental illness and Behavioral
Healthcare. It's exciting to consider how it might lay the
foundation for a broader Public Health infrastructure for
all medical and social needs that public. Infrastructure is
necessary. I believe to close the black white racial life,
expectancy Gap and give every resident of Chicago, the
opportunity to thrive.
it's important to underline that we
It's important to underline that while this is an important
matter of racial Justice from an epidemiological
perspective. It is also something we have to address. If we
are to build effective public health. For anyone public
health is only, as strong as the weakest links and it's
service chance. If we fail to improve the health of our
most marginalized populations, because of the nature of how
disease and violence spreads, we will ultimately continue
to undercut health and safety for everyone, including our
two cities, most privileged residence.
Is.
This leads me to the third word I mentioned, which is
investment. Yes, let's talk about money. None of this is
possible without massive investment in the Chicago
Department of Public Health and other public infrastructure
too. Often we talked about spending on health solely as a
cost rather than an investment. And the best argument for
thinking about it as an investment is examining what the
return on. That investment is economic evaluations of
dozens of public health programs, consistently find
significant Returns on investment. We spend over 2 billion
dollars on a covid-19 vaccination, campaign in New York
City to billion dollars. That's billion with a B, which
sounds like a lot of money until you look at the return on
that investment. In terms of hospitalizations averted and
economic gains. Not to mention the tens of thousands of
lives saved.
About.
about a
The bottom.
The bottom line was a return of about $10 for every $1
invested according to an analysis by Yale, University
scientist. The return for other interventions is even
greater example Society, enjoys up to $200 in savings for
every $1 invested in lead poisoning prevention programs for
children. It was this perspective on return on investment,
particularly Municipal investment. That helped me expand my
Health Department's budget to its highest ever level during
my tenure
About half of that money coming.
About half of that money coming from City coffers municipal
resources, facilitated Innovation, such as NYC, well, a
24/7 phone text and chat resource for crisis counseling and
emotional support information and referrals to ongoing
mental health and substance use Services. I know that the
collaborative for a community wellness and visions of
similar 24-hour. Hotline we found the NYC well was
fundamental connective tissue. Linking New Yorkers to
crisis response and the broader spectrum of mental health
services that we invested in.
So given the strong alignment between public health and
Public Safety. I described previously such Upstream
Investments can be expected to yield dividends in both
health and safety for Chicago, Heights.
Gillette.
So let me just wrap up and try to pull it all together. My
three themes were Community public and investment. Public
investment in our communities, broadly. This is what we
need to reverse. The decline in American life expectancy
that is happening on our watch more specifically. The plans
you are discussing today. Represent a bold Vision to build
what we have never had in this country and effective
Equitable public system for community, mental health and
safety. I will continue to do what I can to support your
success out of a belief that it holds enormous promise. Not
only for Chicagoans but for public
Frost.
Across the Nation. Thank you so much for the privilege of
allowing me to share my thoughts with you today. Thank you.
Thank you so much dr. Chucky now we are going to open the
discussion up for questions from my colleagues members and
the members of the committee. We will start with members
will have about 20 minutes for this discussion and then we
will jump into the second part of the hearing. Anybody has
questions or comments.
Chair.
Chairman 6. Hello Pez.
Can.
Thank you, thinking about, I'm chair and first and
foremost, let me thank you for for these important hearing.
It doesn't go unnoticed, how long we have to wait in the
city of Chicago, just to have a conversation. So just let
me think that only chair person. Rodriguez Sanchez for her
leadership on this matter. But also, for bringing us all
together. I also want to thank all the young people and all
the people who are here in the city of Chicago, like the
vast majority of residents who are pushing for common-sense
legislation.
Do.
That.
That is long overdue. My question. And I think for the
Department of Public Health
Is one of the obstacles? I mean, I think the evidence is
unequivocal on the need for treatment of trauma, in terms
of the implementation and a thing as specifically around
the reopening of mental health clinics. I think I cured
from the researchers, and he's really telling that every
researcher that we have consulted with bushes for the model
riding other corresponding model by to make sure that we
invest in a strong Public Health institutions, as far as
strong cdph has to be done with what the previous
administration promised, which was to reopen mental health
clinics and to make sure that we expand capacity
immediately. So that was my first question. What are the
hurdles? What is the, you know, what is the quarterback
special about reopening mental health clinics?
We?
We have a Deputy Commissioner Richards from cdph and we also
have Kate. McNaughton anybody can take that question. Thank
you for the question earlier. When I wanted to just start
by acknowledging, the hard work of a lot of folks in this
room and as, as colleagues have, said, sharing what are
often painful and potentially triggering in a stories and
just want to acknowledge that. And as a representative of
the health department, I'm really here to say, thank you
and to validate the work hard work that a lot of folks in
this room I've done and we want you to know that we see you
and we hear you and we commit, very sincerely to be a
partner with this mare. With the chairwoman with the folks
in this room to get this done to get treatment. Trauma. I
think with respect to barriers, you know, as an operating
Department, chairmen are
roll.
All is well.
call is really to help resolve those barriers. So when
we're thinking about, for instance, reopening a network of
Citywide clinics, thinking about the Staffing requirements
thinking about the space requirements. We do that all the
time and I can commit that we're going to be a productive
partner and figuring out with this Administration. And with
the term limit how to do all of that, we've already put a
lot of thought into it, but I think it's a conversation and
work. We, we
Make.
Make sure that all the right folks are.
Make sure that all the right folks are in that conversation
and that we're really hearing what people want to see. But
you have our commitment that work, we're going to be a
productive partner to help make it happen. So thank you.
Thank.
Thank you. Deputy Commissioner, you have another question
to hear a commitment from the Department of Public Health I
think to honor those, those testimonials that's tragic.
Testimony, that we continue to hear is by putting this into
action. So, I look forward to working with you and the
people around this room to make this work. My next question
is around something that some things get missed around
Truman, no trauma, but it is critical to cheilitis and is
the speaker spoke about this issue, creating a stronger,
Chicago Department of Public Health. When we have more
investment in the department more caseworkers when we
think, but also to create employment around the self care.
Camila.
Communing Navigators. And I do think that in a time where,
you know, and I seen the research shows that their
involvement involvement of the community. Not only it is
best practices but also can generate employment
opportunities. When there's so many chances, I do seem to
continue to invest in systems that do not work, is at the
service of the city of Chicago. What we have again and
approaching the build, rebuild the department with our
community. So my question in that line, it is around
creating employment opportunity, for healthcare, navigate,
Navigators, and revamping our Department of Public Health
that under neoliberal policies for the last 40 Years of
seeing less and less funding. When we see, growing need by
the pandemic and a multiple prices that we have a
community. How do we be stronger together? Creating a
robust Department of Public Health that involves not only
workers, but also Community workers.
I'll
I would ask that question to dr. Erik Reinhart. We have
been talking about a community care court that would
include pier workers, I think dr. Chelsea was also alluding
to that and how it was created a New York, but I can I can
pass that question to the store Erik Reinhart, and people
have been asking around the country because Chicago is not
unique in Needham dramatic investment in his Department of
Public Health and dramatic.
then I'll
Then I would run US public health under neoliberal
policies. As you said for the last 40 years, has removed
itself from direct Service, delivery by and large and
focused primarily on technocratic. Governance and
biosurveillance is the core of Public Health. And those
things are really important. They are not substitutes for
direct Service delivery Public House in the u.s. in
Chicago, is deeply distrusted by a large proportion of the
population, Health Care is deeply distrusted. Many
Americans no health care provider through the personal
bankruptcy. That's not a basis for trust.
Being told you need to wear a mask, or you can go to a park
at. That's not a basis for building. Trust it may be
necessary that is build trust. So, what is going to build
trust in our health systems in public, health gets
relationships that doctor talk. She said we have to invest
in a different kind of Public Health Department. It is not
just about recruiting epidemiologists and scientists who
have really important skill sets in our core part of it.
But we have to build a public health department the
revolves around communities in his responsibilities and
employs people in communities who know what their neighbors
need to know what their family members name, who know how
to deliver that care and can work in conjunction with
mental health. Professionals with medical scientist
excetera, that is a really important basis. I think for re
conceiving what Public Health in this country and including
Chicago can be should be there. The models of this around
the world, Europe is a different case. Could really robust
social welfare networks that we don't have here.
U.s.?
U.s., so the role that a that a community health worker
might play for example and in Vienna and Austria is rather
different than what I might play here. So we can look to
other contacts or you don't have that that kind of her by
social welfare infrastructure. A lot of them are in with
the so-called developing world is organization called
Partners in Health, led by my mentor and friend Paul
Farmer. They built robust public health and Healthcare
infrastructure is in place is like Rwanda in conjunction
with the Rondon government, despite limitations in places
like Haiti and Peru in Siberia. And they're all, they all
revolve around Community Health worker models and evidence
shows time and time. Again both partners and housework and
other organizations around the world and countries have in
Destiny systems. They are extremely effective. They build
trust, they save money. They provide ignify dwork to
communities. Were often suffering primarily from economic
deprivation. That's what leads to the disease. This is a
model of Public Health that can touch on many different
points that are dragging down. Chicago's news right now.
Simultaneously Ethan on mcnees.
Matter how?
Mental Health.
Mental health near.
Mental health needs. Medical needs need for employment and
Community Building infrastructure. So this this is I think
how around the country and especially in Chicago, we need
to think about a different kind of Public Health
Department, not as technocracy. What is direct Service
delivery? That gives a basis for building. Trust and
preparing harm has been done to our communities through
Decades of dispossession and I know that we have to get
other other questions or I will just make a comment cuz I
want to allow more people, but thank you.
Do we have the political will?
Do we have the political will here on their new
chairperson? I think that there's a lot of interest to try
to divide and conquer and put attention in other issues.
This is a central issue I would like to just and I think
there was some really keep things mentioned. In this
report, the special around the the life expectancy decline,
in a lot of our communities because of the lack of access
to mental health and Public Health in general. So I think a
challenges all, you know, to look at what's happening in
terms of the alarming rate of suicide, specially amount
black adult, black young adults. It is alarming. I think
that we need to make sure that we provide every safety net,
across or communities so that we prevent this tragedy. So
again, or full commitment to this ordinance and, you know,
we hope that we work together with all the college and
other organizations to make this a reality, thank you very
much.
They?
Thank.
Thank you, Shannon sexual Lopez. Next, we have other woman
Cruise
Thank.
Thank you, madam chair and I want to say congratulations,
you're doing a fantastic job as well with your Vice dear,
but I am here to express my support for tree minutes Rama.
I think this is something that we have heard throughout
there. Heard it today. We keep hearing it in our
communities as well. Making sure that we have mental
health. Assistance throughout Chicago in very different
ways weather is through a emergency.
Call or whether is our mental health clinics and that is
something that we have heard enough and I'm glad that we're
having this conversation so we can move forward with
actions. So then our constituents are rested as get to see
all the work that we're doing to make this happen. One of
the main concerns that I hear often, when I bring up, trim
it out trauma and I want to make sure that is expressed
today cuz it is important, is that there is already a pilot
program, it is working. Well, I meant with Dr. Warriors,
she expressed to me some of the statistics of how well this
program is working. Cuz one of them, main concern is just
like, what about if, if the police attempted to call in a
mental health, professional shows up but there is more
additional help and what is going to happen. If somebody
gets harm in the social worker will based on the pilot
program. Those are incidents are not happening because I
hope it is,
Have.
Having a mental health professional but we're adding all
this ideas to it to maybe stop the help, or maybe create
something that is not there. So it is important for
somebody from the box to say how is that work and I know
exactly why you show us some statistics. It I do not want
to get wrong but it's pretty much what it is is there has
been no incidents to that extent that the help that has
been provided. It is what it is.
they having a
They having the money.
They having a mental health, professional and everything is
working well. So if somebody can speak on that, Matt
Richards, can you give us the most updated numbers of calls
and the results? Yes, Matt Richards, if you can miss Ruby
about also with I think with respect to the safety
questions. So we've responded to over 1,000 call so far. No
use of force. No arrest, no significant injury. To a first
responder or patient.
Thank you.
Thank you so much, tear person. Just wanted to ask a
question. So
as many of you may know, I worked at CPS actually at the
counseling department. So for me, it was daily work with
our students and families to look for serve. An important
meeting the 14th. Ward Wichita at school since we don't
have anything around us, and they had to go to the suburbs
or to the north side. And many of those times, we had to
receive the services only in English. So it was a language
barrier for our community and we couldn't help as much as
we wanted to our students because of bad. So wanted to ask,
if we have yet conducted a study cuz I know not remember,
how many clinics are closed that I miss tration.
What?
What I've heard.
What I've heard is some of those that were closed, were open
as private clinics. So, how we already done a study between
the whole city of Chicago to know? Cuz of course also,
after the pandemic of new sites have open giving those
services. So would like to know if we if we can, if we have
not yet so we can conduct the study so we can know exactly
what do we have now in the whole city of Chicago. So when
when we talk about budget and reopening sites we can be
certain of the space of the areas in North Chicagoland area
that we need to open something that we've never had before.
Just opening the ones that they were closed but maybe
moving some of them to the areas that we know who we need
those services and we've never had anything. And we got
don't have anything. We do have those numbers and sticky W
the collaborative Community. Wellness Center to the study
and the department.
How?
How's?
How tall?
House also have the number so we can definitely get that
through to everyone through the chair until problem because
the one that I have closest to my ward is in the 13th Ward.
So would like to know if there's any plans. That'll open
something in the 14th. We will get you those numbers. Thank
you so much. Thank you. Other Woman, Fun. Fest.
well, first, I'll
Well, first, I want to also extend a congratulations to
chairperson prasanna. Sanchez or getting us, this hearing
has been a long road, just to be able to have this
conversation, and I feel super privileged to have a sister,
a leading, the work, and being relentless in her efforts,
to make sure that we are a city that provides treatment on,
I spent 10 years in education, 90% of those years with
young people, from the ages of 16 to 24. I'm a restorative
justice practices in. ER, I believe in Healing Center
engagement work. I know that when we provide treatment, it
makes a difference in young people's lives. And I also know
that we do not have enough black brown and Indigenous care
providers in the city of Chicago. And when was thinking
about providing Street,
Or.
Or our families and our young people and neighborhoods that
need them. The most also know that there's a real need to
ensure that we are providing culturally congruent,
bilingual and bicultural services. To our young people that
are rooted in anti-colonial practices. As many of our
folks, including myself have been in many rooms with a
therapist that are rooted in eurocentric practices. That
unfortunately do not give me the tools.
The management.
The managemylife circumstances in the city of Chicago. And
so my question is, what are we thinking about? And what are
our plans, one to increase the Professionals in the field
that are folks of color from the neighborhoods, across the
city in which we are seeking to provide those services and
what type of Frameworks and models? Are we looking at to
provide that culturally congruent bilingual and bicultural
a service that we know our city needs
Thank.
Thank you for the question. Other one will find this out
from my and I can say that we have been talking about
building pipelines with some of our universities and their
social work on counseling programs that we have around the
city. But I would love to have, but that I can look at. And
if anybody else from the box wants to respond to Other
Woman, smart, this question, you're welcome to fix clinical
social worker myself as a first-generation mejicano, born
to Immigrant parents on the Southside. I made it my
personal and professional career choice to stay in the
community that they grounded to provide those opportunities
for young sensation to be trained in the way, I was right
to serve people.
Are people in?
Are people in our spaces and generate so safe spaces. Every
alternative viewpoints that up until recently right were
seen as marginal bringing that into the center of healing.
That is important. For me, personally, important for a
coalition, it's important for all of us.
One.
One of the things that was very disheartening and tonight
and I talked about this both professionally as somebody who
is looking to hire clinicians, bring you know, like I was,
right, young definition of color hungry, to serve the
community into the community was that we couldn't pay them
what they deserve, as a result. And when you look at our
surveys and I I invite people to go on the website and
download the report when you look at the city map and a
visually striking, when you look at the city map, where we
mapped out every clinician in the city of Chicago, the
level of saturation for therapists in Lake View in the near
North, in Oak Park. It wasn't in this map but we saw other
Maps. There's a lot of amazing clinician, a color doing
great work in those communities.
because,
Because they have Opportunity Financial incentive to be
there.
Unfortunately not private sector doesn't provide that and
either you take a personal choice to earn less to serve in
your community.
Or you seek out for fresh opportunities in area that can
afford you to pay more.
For us.
For us during the public infrastructure, making care
positions in our communities. Your support workers, for
clinicians allows a good-paying job, a city job with good
benefits and pay to be a reality to incentivize our young
leaders were here today, who want to enter the field to
come back and have a center in her community or city
center. That can be operational and that they could be
apart of a staff, right? And be a city worker, providing
that care for our communities. The last thing I'll Stand
Up. Point is that as was mentioned earlier, public mental
health centers, are different than a profit center is right
there, countable to the community.
It can be.
The commune Mental Health Board meets on a monthly basis
that Advisory board that currently exists has a long
history in which those committee advisory boards were part
of every problem at the house and I was operational back in
the 90s. Now we have one centralized Advisory Board and
invite people in the public to join those meetings. Once a
month, where they meet with CPA to administrators where
they provide their input where they could be, what they
would like to see. No sin is what type of service is what
types of quality of care.
Second.
They can also hold a carnival that the department to make
sure that those centres are providing, truly respect a
response of care in a way that people want to see. And
again, nonprofits and Community, stakeholders can all be
part of this community, buys our conversations as well as
the thinking about how we could compliment and support and
make the public without going to the best that they can be,
but that takes that investment. So I I thank you for your
question. I think everybody here to make this a reality
because again we're building that infrastructure that can
be world-class and provide us supportive care for. And by
people who need the Services Inc, musical across the city
Thank you.
Thank you that. I'm going to be okay if I added two other
parts that we should emphasize, which is that
The demoralization of American Health Care workers around.
The country is Extreme right now. People don't have places
to go work as psychiatrist in which they believe they're
working for a non-profit institutions that work like
for-profits for-profit institutions and it is
disheartening. I have colleagues around the country who
would be eager even to take a pick up regulation to have
to. But to come here and work board Administration that is
putting forth, a different Model, A Community Mental Health
that you can't find around the country. People want to be
able to believe in the work they're doing. We give them a
reason to believe that we really find it, we will be able
to recruit people to the city.
People.
People of color people who speak.
People of color, people who speak Spanish as big a numerable
other languages. Because people want to be able to believe
in the work. We can give them that. I think it, if you
don't brand what you're doing, if you don't announce it
boldly, you don't get the van. If you can't bring people,
but there are ways we can do that. The other part is that
the the peer support infrastructure you give people living
wages like we give to the police, but they start at
$54,000. Then it's up to the you do 80 thousand or so I
need two months in that stabilizes people that stabilizes
families. It gives people opportunity to imagine what they
might want to do and they don't have to jump out of the
peer support worker role because it's a party. That's a
career job. You should be dignified and saying that but if
you want to go get a masters in social work, become an
LCSW, do you want to go to medical school? And you have
that backdrop? Your family has that backdrop. That's how
you build Pipelines.
so, did
So did this remark to have psychiatrist that pop up out of
the southwest side tomorrow, it takes years but we build
the support of infrastructure for families. Through
dignified well-paying jobs into the stability, the Triple A
travel advisory committees with large, we will produce
people who want to serve their communities will give the
resources to do that. Thank you going to end with other
men, Yancey, and other men Conway, who has join us for the
hearing today because I believe that too often people,
especially people color find it. The system that we have in
place is more like those failing in The Help.
This.
this is,
This issue.
This issue became personally in December 2009, with my
friend, Alden, Nash, she was a veteran and they'd be better
at Union organizer what suffering through a mental health
crisis and out of an abundance of caution, his family
called 911. Police showed up and moments later, Alvin was
their shot and killed the front of his wife and son on
Christmas Eve.
Six years later in 2015, a month after the video showing
the murder of laquan McDonald was released quintonio
legrier with a college student home for Christmas break and
also in crisis, call nine-one-one three times, pleading for
help.
Mom.
Moments later, a police officer showed up and quintonio
legrier was killed shot and killed along with his
downstairs neighbor. Betty, Jones Betty Jones was a member
of an organization, which I sat on the board action now and
it was just very, very difficult moment for our members,
but also difficult moment in this city because it's a month
later, we were dealing with the trauma of the videotape
release of the murdered laquan McDonald.
These.
Beastly Souls along with countless, others deserve better
as a person with family members who have struggled with
mental health issues and I myself have dealt with
depression. I pray that in a moment crisis that day and we
don't meet the same fate as these beautiful souls. They
deserve better and we can do better and we'll do better
with the passage of disordered. Thank you. Older woman,
man, to help and work. Thank you, Jared and
congratulations.
meeting today, and I
Meeting today and vice chair as well. I have comments and
then I have a question. I'm I my name is lenamond IHOP in
worth on the all the women of the 48th, Ward Andersonville,
Edgewater and upset. I am a licensed health care worker,
physical therapist, who worked in the Cook County, Health
Care System, including our jail, and our long-term care
facility at Oak Forest Hospital. And so, I know the value
of working on a team, including our social workers and and
I understand what you're saying doctor, when you're talking
about, what does it look like for a person who is
discharged from the hospital and from me as a child care
worker, it always it was always unnerving to me to not know
that their community
Be.
Because who is there, it's their family. And if their
family cannot do it is the community able to hold them. And
this is something that I could never really answer for
myself. I'm also a mom and I worked as though I was at LSD
member in a public school for my kids. And I just wanted to
say, a lot of them are not here anymore, but we cannot
continue to ask our young people.
22.
To talk about their traumas. It's not right.
Are.
Are you asked us in our schools to consider where we're
putting our resources? And do they want more officers in
their schools? A lot of them said, no, they need services
and they need social workers. And so we look to school as
an ecosystem of what really we should have at the Citywide
level.
As.
As a Grassroots person, I was really honored to work with
access living and in advance, your leadership hour and
Candice to help pass Tessa at the Statewide level and this
is something that mean is a pallet. He's all over Illinois.
I asked to look to implement. And so we in Chicago the
third largest city in the nation are being asked to find
ways to make our health system hole that works for all of
us and does not criminalize
Deep.
People who need them.
People who need the resources, the most.
And that includes, especially people who live, in our most
into disinvested communities, in the city. It doesn't
matter where you live, no matter what your ZIP code,
everybody deserves Healthcare and that includes mental
health support
I'm up a small business owner and Andersonville. And in the
middle of the pandemic, a friend of mine had a crisis and,
and I worked with a lot of my social worker friends to
find, help, it was on a Sunday and it was getting late. I
had been with her all day and on Clark in Summerdale at
some point my social worker friend said, I don't have any
other answers for your lineage need to call 911. I said I'm
really not comfortable with that and she said, don't worry,
you know, they hired Crisis Intervention training. And so
what happened was after 30 minutes the cop car did come
very quickly around the corner.
Light.
Lights on yelled at me, when I approached the car.
And then it didn't get any better from there.
Get up there.
If there's no Humanity in a broken system.
and,
And it's some point. I asked to see the supervisor
and,
And he came eventually, I said this doesn't work, I don't
understand what's happening. And he said, whoever you talk
to, they're not our boss.
In.
An old.
And also what you want us to do, and in the meantime, my
friend really needed help.
Ice.
I see.
I said, what am I supposed to do? She said, call your
alderman.
Don't.
So I'm here in support of treatment. Drama.
I have a question because I too am learning.
What?
What we?
What we do here and how we do it together and meeting with
all of our commissioners.
And we are sharing data. We have to be data-driven. It is
the only way.
And my question is, what in your data from The CARE
program, as well? As data across the u.s. suggest that
keeping, the co-responder model is an evidence-based
decision, according to the care care dashboard and almost a
thousand points of contact. There have been no arrests, no
violence, excetera when the people in need and nearly two
years of gathering the data. Why not make the move to a
civilian LED model like treatment, not trauma, which has
proven successful in other cities.
In.
and,
And do.
In Denver, the star program response to over 10,000 College
per year, and it's had to call her please back up less than
25% of the time.
And point 25% of the time.
and,
And that has largely been when someone needs
hospitalization.
The Pinnacle.
Deputy Commissioner Matt Richards with your want to answer
that question.
Matt.
Merry.
Matt Richards, Deputy Commissioner for Behavioral Health?
Thank you all the woman. So I think in terms of as I had
said earlier, in terms of questions around safety, we have
responded to over a thousand calls at this point without
the use of force without a rest without injury to a
patient, significant injury to a patient or to a first
responder were aware that there are many models around the
country in this base, but I think it's really a policy
decision. And the health department doesn't make policy
decisions. We are going to implement the plan that the
mayor and the chairwoman and city council instruct us to
implement and that includes related questions about team
composition. So we're certainly aware that there are
different models, but I think as folks have elevated in the
hearing today, were very as a health department,
understanding that these are health events and they need to
be met by
Help.
Health response, and we very much agree with that white.
Thank.
Thank you. Deputy Commissioner we have to move on to our
second part of his hand cuz I really want you all to be
able to hear from the people who are actively doing the the
work that we are quoting and that were mentioning. So I was
going to take a break. But if you are all okay with it,
maybe we can continue cuz we're running a little behind and
I just schedule. Our next speaker is going to be Sam
Robbins From the Start program in Denver and we are going
to focus on the work that they have been doing with crisis
response and also that your solicitation of the 24 hour,
walk-in crisis centers. Some are you with us? I am. Thank
you. Madam chair, can you hear me? Okay. Yes, we can hear
you. Okay, you can go ahead rate. Thank you. Hello
everyone. I am a licensed clinical social worker in the
state of Colorado and I'm one of the supervisors for Denver
County, courts under program and I work very closely with
the star program as well and as well, they're walking
crisis center.
About our programs ballistically and how they work together
for Denver community. And how we're able to support all of
our people, in our community who are experiencing a crisis,
and call emergency services at the recycle. So are two
programs that work with the 911, customer get to stop
through the 911 system or non emergency system or program
and our star program star program started in 2016. It was
actually myself and two others that started this program
back then and we started, like I said, it's three people
and have expanded to over thirty people. Now responding
with Denver police officers are all license clinicians and
they are intended to respond with officers to high Acuity
high-risk, call Anjali people who need to start meant for
hospitalization. Assessment may be with someone who does
have access to a weapon or any
assessment.
Apartments that include you know what that may require a
license clinician they work in conjunction and really well
with our star program. Star program was started as a model
in 2020. I believe June of 2020 is when it started on that
is a clinician not necessarily license, meaning they can't
evaluate for that mental health Boulder that M1 holes as we
call it in Colorado, and they partner with a paramedic, and
they are supposed to respond to low-acuity low-risk calls.
There's a whole list of calls and I do
Email, if needed.
Email if needed but there is a whole list of calls that
they respond to. I'm trying to find my list. I apologize
from a welfare check suicidal series. A person experiencing
homelessness or helplessness that might need additional
resources or support on trespassing calls using those
low-level crime. Call both stores this and then our
dispatch system is able to figure out which response system
is best in order to better. Meet the needs of the person in
the Community member calling into the program because
they're both employed by our agency, which is well power
that which is Denver county, public, mental health agency
are able to coordinate with one another. So that, if what's
a starter goes out, initially unresponsive, they need
professional ideas, a level of safety has reached this dark
and responds. They can work with her, and the beauty.
Respond.
Responder.
Call responders and start working together. Is that a no on
the same team and within the same city and county limits is
that they can better respond to people in our community who
experienced increases in the most common forms and fast
approach. Way, if it is something where someone needs a non
police response and it's safe for start to do. So or start
clinicians, can do that with the medic, provide resources,
Transportation directly connect them to service providers,
Etc. In Denver Tony. I'm going to go down if it does reach
that level of
They?
Safety concern, they can refer charcoal responders and give
tips and tricks as to what works or not, Reinventing the
wheel when we meet people in the community and we are
approaching of trauma-informed way having both of these
pineapple responses in Denver Community has been really
beneficial for our First Responders, to be able to learn
from us in to help as couch a better approach situations.
Where there is someone with a severe and persistent mental
illness, diagnosis and diagnosis or anything else. Or
someone is calling in to 911 or non emergency police that
isn't necessarily a crime happening. It's really just
someone reaching out to support her and now with the
supervisor of our program, I can attest that I have seen
officers grow and our First Responders. And just generally
first responded Community here in Denver County to have a
better approach. The people we've reduced arrest and
tickets and citations on down to below 2% I believe from
where it was Prior.
Initiated and has flourished since. And so we see people
use use better assessment tools on spend more time with
community members when they're able to get more of a
thorough assessment. And also rely on us both as
potentially start, punishing, Darko responders to be able
to say you are the experts in this field and no, we are
being dispatched to this. You were taking the lead.
after I told,
After it towards whatever. Start clinician makes contact
with someone in the community, we can refer to some of our
other approaches in Denver, that help again, or people in
crisis, during the community, we have our walk-in Center in
our Behavioral Health Solution, Center both are run by wall
power again, our agency over here in Denver County or
walk-in Center and behavioral solutions that are both 24/7.
Voluntary crisis centers, are walk-in center is open to
anyone in the public and community members can come in with
any self-identified prices and say. They need support at
the center that can get us. A strong opposition, is that
something where there's an imminent risk, they can get
connected to potentially rental housing resources. They can
get intake appointment for a therapist for other Mental
Health Resources, case, management, Etc, or just be able to
talk to someone in the moment about the crisis that's
currently happening.
We completely voluntary completely free of charge and it
has 24. 7 365 days. A year are Behavioral Health Solution
Center operates in the same capacity in the drop-off
center. However, this is unique to Denver County and that
it's a first responder only drop-off facility. So as we
know, historically police have only had Boys fire. Medics
have only had access to hospitalization or jail as a
resource to be able to bring people to the solution Center
has allowed for First Responders able to drop off community
members and prices.
They can access resource.
They can access resources that are more appropriate for
their care rather than resources that are only available to
First Responders. So, same concept at the Behavioral Health
Solution Center. In terms of the drop off area. Anyone can
go to talk to me first, responder drop off completely
voluntary free of charge, and allows anyone with a
self-identified crisis to meet with a license clinician and
be able to assess that crisis and figure out what resources
are appropriate Solution Center. We also have a crisis
stabilization Clinic that people can get referred to
directly. It's an up to five days day for people to get
re-stabilize with a psychiatrist on medications.
Participate in individual and group therapy program. That's
a pretty independent shelter program but it does allow
someone to stay and meet with staff in order to better help
receiving appropriate resource connection. 30 days in a
safe place to stay while they transition from their crisis
into back into the community.
Denver CO.
Denver County has also developed with Calder Aid Center and
that stands for a second and chicken Diversion Center. And
that is a trauma-informed. Public health approach to Public
Safety by acting as a connection point to comprehensive
community and system Based Services on as a resource for
law enforcement to community in individuals, as well as
continuing my services in an alternative, alternative
response metal. So that focuses on providing resources to
individuals who have active warrants for low-level
non-violent crimes and continue to face challenges
accessing services.
That's really a divorce.
That's really a diversion program. Again from preventing
people from getting arrested in the community where they
may need other resources and support that would better suit
them and then going to jail and allowing them to space to
get connected to those resources and prevent them and
prevent recidivism within the criminal justice system. I
realize this is very done for Tony specific and this has
worked for help our County and may not work for every
single County. But what I can say for my personal and
professional experience is that this has allowed every
single member of our County and our city to be able to have
access to whatever crisis service that they feel is best
for them in a way. That's all. I'm sorry. We're not forcing
people into the program, we don't force people to talk to
her clinicians only really meet people where they're at and
really try and get them connected to the services that are
best suited for them. In that moment, I have to talk more
answer questions. After that, I know we have a lot going on
here in Denver, and we're really happy to be able to share
what we do and what has been evidence-based.
Thank.
Thank you so much, Sam. We are going to keep going with our
speakers and then we will have time for a q-and-a. Our next
speaker is Mike from from the Portland Police, and he's
going to talk about Portland Street response and its impact
on the Police Department chief from. Are you with us? Thank
you for being here, you can go ahead with your testimony.
As.
SD just heard. My name is Mike Froman, currently the deputy
chief for the Portland, Police Bureau, I'm honored appear
before you today and discuss how Borland Street response
is. Help. The city of Portland, provide another way to
respond to people in crisis and other vulnerable
populations. Like nearly all large police agencies and
Portland continues to struggle to recruit new police
officers. In a time when new officers are scarce. Resource
the arrival of portal Street response is to help provide a
method to handle calls that are for the most part, non
criminal in nature and do not really require a police
officer look for land. Like many other cities, overtime,
developed response, protocols, using police officers
because it was a convenient way to handle the problem.
We already had.
We already had a dispatch system in place. People became
accustomed to calling 911 to solve everything in Oregon.
Police have the legal authorities, take a person
experiencing a mental health crisis, who's dangerous to
themselves, or others into custody, for the purposes of
tanning involuntary, mental health treatment
All.
all officers in Portland OR Crisis Intervention training
and we have an additional hundred and forty and then have
additional training to become an enhanced Crisis
Intervention officer. We also operate a behavioral health
unit, a an officer and social worker to work on long-term
cases. But every day, the vast majority of police calls
involving people with mental health diagnosis. Do not
require police holds more detailed safety plans for
Portland. This is where Portland Street response.
We came.
Became a valuable responder program.
TSR cordless responses, dispatch through our Bureau of
emergency communications generally after someone calls 911,
but we also have a non-emergency number that people can use
call takers at the 911, Center screen. Each Call to
determine is the person possibly experiencing a mental
health crisis. Are they intoxicated possibly drug-affected
are they inside or outside of a public publicly accessible
space World, Street response cannot respond inside people's
residencies at this point.
It's
If a person is outside, are they on the ground or otherwise
down unchecked, are the outside yelling or a sexually? Just
making noise or the person who needs referral services, but
do not have a phone. And then finally ESR does not respond
to calls where there are weapons, being brandished. If a
person is creating a disturbance in traffic generally they
must need to be non-violent not immediately suicidal.
Is.
In 2022 PSR handle, just over 8600 calls for service for a
city like Chicago. They may not seem like much, but for
Portland is significant in the first quarter of 2023, they
responded to just over two thousand calls. 98% of these
calls would have otherwise been assigned to police. This
allowed me to have my officers focus on other calls were
there is a more obvious criminal Nexus just under 95% of
all the calls require NOCO response. PSR can handle it all
on their own without needing fire medical or police.
Since.
Since its Inception, PSR has requested police 98 * to
assist and that's an almost like a two-year window at this
point. Police have requested Portland, Street response. 212
x is low numbers suggest to me a couple of things first
live called takers at 911 or doing a good job of
identifying PSR calls and then second it shows the PS are
in. The police are capable of reaching out to each other
when they recognized the Need For assistance with each
other. When PSR first came into the picture, there was a
concern on the police said, they would be unsafe, they
might be injured. We haven't seen this play out in from
testimony earlier today. And sounds like you're not seated
in your pilot either, BSR calls for police when they get
bad. It's handled a had a handful of times has shown great
ability to escalate situations.
Love you too sis.
I love you as a friend and he was Liberty or property. So
they have a lot less of a hurdle to get over when trying to
make inroads with people.
I see.
I think the key thing that I wanted to come away from the
door till you hear there in Chicago, Builders build this
program, get it going. Take this work off of hands of your
police officers that can focus on crime. You'll allow you
to demonstrate a thoughtful approach to interacting with
people in crisis, and it should help to reduce your
involuntary admission to the mental health treatment should
reduce jail, bookings or citations for low-level crimes.
That police sometimes have to use to solve the problem in
the short-term. And ultimately it should reduce violent
encounters between the people in police, is our system in
Portland. Perfect. No, not yet. It's a good start. I think.
so, thank
So, thank you for letting me share with you today, and I'll
be available for questions.
Thank.
Thank you Chief from we are supposed to hear from Maria.
Last released from the Albuquerque experience, but she is
not here yet. So we're going to start with questions to
both Denver and Portland, and then she will connect with
us. Anybody has questions and Veronica will be taking us
back. I would like to start with a question for Sam Robbins
here. What we are trying to do is focus on a response that
is similar to The Star.
Bro.
Broke.
Program we are focused on doing none police response and I
would like for you to talk a little bit more about how the
star program works in collaboration with the walk-in crisis
centers. And what are the possibilities that have come from
that work?
That's for Sam.
Absol.
Absolutely. Can you hear me, okay?
Yes. So the star program itself while going to a bit more
detail of how it works. Like I said, it is a mental health
clinician master's-level minimum and we partner with a
house which is one of our local hospital Denver Health
paramedic or EMT and they respond together in a van and the
van axle is filled with resources itself, like clothing,
food, on Carter's, anything that would help someone out in
a crisis, and they respond to calls that come in through
the 911 or non-emergency dispatch system has lower level
low risk. When they go out to talk to someone, there is no
time limit on how long they can spend with a person that
can spend 0 to 100 200 plus minutes, whatever it takes in
order to help resolve that crisis. That that person is we
may not be able to resolve the crisis in the field. As we
all know where anyone who is dunfield response on that can
be a bit chaotic, you know, you could be on the side of a
road, you can have people watching you.
Space.
Penis, paste safe for the person. You're talking to us. We
won again really need that for sure where they're at and be
able to resolve the crisis in the moment as much as dark
and do any type of work in the field. Sometimes that person
needs a little bit more support or needs to stay for space.
To be able to have that conversation is start. Can't find
us, a first-place, the walk-in Center or solution Center
are great options for that. The solution Center in Watkins
Center, like they said, both have the drop-off center or
someone can get dropped off for any self-identified prices.
It is a voluntary so we can't force someone to go to any of
those sensors if they walk in and change their minds. They
are absolutely allowed to walk out. At the same time we
can't force them to stay. If there's a wait time, we want
them to be able to choose this type of treatment, rather
than be forced into it. Once they're out the walk-in Center
or the solution Center on Starz considered a first
responder so that it can drop off at that Solution Center.
In Denver County, 1/3 there a person can meet with a
typically a license Plantation and
like, I
Like ice.
Like I said, sit in that in that space for as long as they
need, I believe it's up to 24 hours but they're allowed to
be in our drop-off facility. And at that point, they can
get us a ceramic. Also, if there's any imminent safety
risk, they can get connected the resources, they can just
have a space space to talk to someone about The Graces but
they're experiencing the intake appointment or get referred
to a higher level of care clinic or more of an intensive
outpatient program. So we work in conjunction with them to
be able to Buster.
Prices in a space that best works for then and in the
modality that works for them.
and,
And you talk about the numbers up to date for the star
program, specifically. And until you tell us how that
program has expanded in the last couple of years,
I can't.
I can try my best. Unfortunately, my system is down right
now to get you after at numbers of the star program and
happy to send those, as I'm able to run some technology
issues with our data system this morning. But our star
program just start in 2020 with just one. Clinician and one
minute I'm in has now expanded. I think we're up to 16
clinicians and 16 Medics so about what we say eight Van's
front half of the week. So that means at any given time,
there's about that, our full potential, there's about eight
fans on the Street Denver, in terms of police districts or
where they can respond to Via the 911, dispatch system is
divided into five areas and so eat Vans allows even more
bands in some of our busier areas to be able to respond to
those calls in a more timely matter. So again, we're at
full capacity. Look at 6016, Maddox responding in the
community.
The.
So those eight bands, serve around, how many people?
In Denver in Denver I believe her up to it several thousand
call the year. And again, our data system is down right
now. So unfortunately I can't feel the exact number, but I
know what I mean, is the area that does a man's cover? How
many people live there?
Go.
got a,
Got it in Denver city and Denver County are one in the
same. So we respond, within the Denver County, Denver City
Limits, and it's just under a million.
Any.
Anybody has more questions for Sam. Yes, Other Woman
clothes.
Hello Sam. I do have a question earlier you, you said there
is an option for someone who needs more additional help to
stay on a five-day stay at a clinic. What are locations of
what happens after that, the ones are there for 5 years.
I'm sorry, 5 days they receive in their medication. What is
the transition process to this individual or individuals to
be able to navigate on their own?
Thank you for the.
Thank you for the question. It really depends on where that
person is asked anyone who is eligible to stay at that
crisis stabilization Clinic. If they meet criteria, they're
allowed to stay in his also voluntary program. So we can't
force people into it but it is a program to avoid
hospitalization when hospitalization is it necessary? That
person doesn't meet that eminent level of need, but they
still probably need to stabilize and medication and getting
back into treatment. So let's say a person is house, we
make contact with them in the crisis. We think that the
crisis stabilization Clinic could be a good option. All
through our drop-off centers, the walk-in Center in the
Behavioral Health Solution Center they do assessments, are
we encourage them to look at the assessment for the crisis
stabilization and then they can go there after the clinic
if they stabilized and good to go and the Freeman team
agreed, they can just park back home and you know what's up
to five days till someone after three days feels ready to
return home. It is a voluntary service and I-10
Is someone?
if someone is,
If someone is house was unable to return to a home after the
after 5 days day, that's worth 30 day shelter program. Can
really come into place. That's on her third floor at the
solution Center. And if they meet criteria for that again,
it's an independent shelter where people get to stay in
their own rooms, have access to technology, to be able to
research resources that they need to be connected to and
have constant 24/7 Doctor Who can assist them in this on
their able to leave to the day, still maintain a job. Be
able to go out to a job during the day, go to school during
the day with the family, they can bring cats into that
shelter, as well, if needed, really isn't independent place
to stay and forgive people back on their feet. And we are
going to assist him in finding housing if they are
experiencing in those 30 days. But we really work with
people after that, if I just stay in the clinic to find the
best and safest option for them to just hurts to, no matter
what that is.
Thank.
Thank you.
Other womanly and get your woman and thank you Miss
ribbons. I was watching you on my, on my phone, on the way
over here, and so glad that I made it in time to
participate in this and thank you for your testimony. That
sounds like an incredible program. You haven't done a great
model for us to look at,
I am.
I completely agree that we need to enhance and really build
up our ability to provide mental health response. I'm
interested in hearing a little bit more about your program.
What's the capacity of the, what is the number of clinics
that you have today? The number of dropping Clinic? I think
you mentioned, there are 16 clinicians that are part of the
response teams but I'd like to know how many you have what
the capacity of the clinics are and have you run into any
challenges around overcrowding? Or is there enough? Are
there enough clinics today? To serve the need that you see?
Great question, thank you for that. So well power, which is
the nonprofit Community Mental Health, agency that I'm
employed by that runs are covered Hunter and Start
programs. We managed to walk in clinics walk-in Center
which is the anyone can access center. Like I said, it's
walk in and it can be a family member support system. First
responder drop-offs as well as anyone can walk in from the
community. And then we also offer our operator behavioral
Solutions Center, which of the first responder only drop
off. Grace's Clinic star can drop off 2:00. Co-responder s
Dropbox about as well as well as any first responder agency
are the limitations for the solution Center is that you
have to be a County resident. There are no limitations for
the walk-in Center in the sense that it accepts and an
imperfect Solution Center. Also have to be 18, plus the
walk-in Center. No, limitations. Any age can walk in anyone
from any County. We work with signal, with the
Behavioral Health Providers, and it is a Statewide
initiatives that will power manages, anyone from any
County, or any City can walk into that Center. They happen
to be in Denver butter, resident of another city like
Boulder. They can still come to our our Center and
vice-versa throughout the state wildflower. Just manages
the one in Denver specifically and I am remind me to check
the porosity issues. Have you run into any capacity issues
with Cassidy issue in the sense that we can't handle? The
amount of people that come into either space is more of a
wait, time issue. And so what we look at, and that's like
having both of those centers in Denver county is really
helpful. So what we look at it as if, at the walk-in Center
because again, anyone can walk in, there is a 2 + hour.
Wait time, which tends to be a Max limit for people.
Feeling like, they can wait for services.
Might encourage.
Might encourage staff ability to drop off at the solution
Center to do that. So we can free up space at the walk-in
Center for community members to be able to walk in them
self. I think our biggest issue here in a county and I
imagine across the country, as I know many people are
experiencing, this is more hiring issues or license
clinician since the pandemic, we definitely are seeing are
hiring for. I would say, it's the one who want to do crisis
work and want to do field work.
Half.
Half price.
Half-price has experience in order to be able to
appropriately juice out so that can sometimes put our
program Sunday vert. But it's incredibly rare that that
happens. And we have tons of stuff that are actually
responders are star that can fill in as PRN in those
positions there because they're Coltrane during crisis
train. So we have people that can pick up shifts and
prevent that from happening again responding if they go
into the Senators but the diversion is really minimal
great. And you actually answered one was my follow-up
questions, which was the biggest challenges and I hear you
on the highway. I think that's something that has already
been discussed today. Just a good. It would take over time
to improve those numbers. Just two, two more questions for
you was. I correct him hearing that there is a co-responder
option available when needed in Denver through this
program. So we actually are
when is the,
26th.
2016 on our star program started in June of 2020 darkover
Thunder program, sort of launched the initiative for Star
as we saw the Gap in our community and the need for a
community being so silly. Really because we know that some
people don't need police response even though they go
through that 911 or non emergency system and after we
experienced medical responders and we actually looked at
Eugene, Oregon's Cahoots model as well. We realized that
having that both the programs together really served in the
entire population or I should say.
Two more popular.
Boomer population in Den.
Boomer population in Denver, most certainly doesn't serve
everyone, but we're trying to serve everyone who calls the
non-emergency or emergent line 911 or non-emergency
dispatch responder program. They are partnered with an
officer there in the front seat. Denver does not have four
more cars for police officers. So our correspondence or in
the front seat with that officer and to respond to any call
me anytime. During their shift, the reason we chose this
model on some other cities. Do it worth more model where a
certain officers assigned to clinicians and more of a call
out method. The reason that this works for Denver County,
specifically is the way our jurisdiction to set up within
the city and county limit. But it's all so that we know
that at any given time, one in four adults and one and five
kiddos are experiencing a severe and persistent mental.
When we first started this program, we noticed that calls
coming into the 911 system or the non-emergency. Dispatch
system weren't necessarily being coded as mental health
call and that's no fault of dispatchers. It's just how
Can you?
or communicating their needs in the moment that's best for
them and how dispatchers are able to receive that, right?
And so as we were able to see that a lot of calls, I had a
mental health component work encoded as such we learned
that if we go out with officers at any time to any calls
that were actually accessing people who need that mental
health or behavioral house or ID or dual diagnosis support
that, they may have not gotten if they were just calling to
report a burglary if they were just calling to report
something else, that's our crisis in the moment. And
Or maybe.
there may be a
There may be a cost to it or there may be some mental
health side effects of their current events in Denver and
they are meant to take more of those pirates high-purity
calls because there was police were going to focus on the
calls that have a more intense ass back to them to touch a
weapon meeting. For hospitalization is more severe and
persistent symptoms more more.
What's?
What's the?
What's the word frequent calls?
You know, a constant contact with 9/11 that made me more of
that clinical experience in a crisis Fields, got a license
clinician with her because all of our clinicians call
responders with officers property license. If I have that
more training, the more ability to do a thorough
assessment, the program started with the responder model to
begin with and in 2020 to start the Start program. What was
the transition like is from 911 2988, if that's what you're
using in Denver? I apologize. I didn't hear that part. But
I'm wondering if you just mentioned about the occult acres
in the training that they get and how their how well they
are to ask the ask the right questions or you know if ice
versa like how do we get it out of the person? That's on
the call on what they actually need a response.
I'm very interested in the
I'm very interested in that. Like, how much time did that
take to transition over? Obviously, you guys have many
years of experience with us at this point. So very
interested in your learnings. Yeah. Pick you up station
because as we evolved as a society and other community, I
think the needs of our community is evolving in the things
that are coming into our system are different. So it's a
continuous education with dispatch, educate them on. If
there's any components of mental health, whether it's
someone flat-out says I have a mental health diagnosis and
I need support around this or an actively using substances
to not flat out saying this. But using context clues to
stay, there is a severe and persistent mental illness.
Diagnosis Behavioral Health clinician to go out there
whether it's dark over this batch is trying to figure out
which is best doesn't need a police response. Is this going
to be appropriate to have a police officer go out?
Their own and contact this person depending on the level of
chair. So we are doing continuous education with Dispatch.
They have protocol books in terms of what call to what
calls are coated in a certain way, I can go to store and
what caused that are coated in a certain way, I can go to
call responders, Denver Works in that call takers, take the
call and then dispatch was actually give it out the call
taker, take the information and dispatchers more make that
decision on this kind of it in layman's term, but we're
doing training with income.
Call.
Call take.
Call takers and dispatchers were doing continuous. Ed with
our current dispatchers and call dakers. We work with
supervisors to process calls that maybe should have been
assigned. Star should have been assigned to cover Saunders
in real-time. All of our clinicians bowls for storing for
responders of Police radios so that they can hear what's
going on in be able to better take those calls. So if it
gets assigned to call responders what's an appropriate? Our
team know that they can work collaboratively. Just don't
get on the air and be able to say it that way. So they're
really working at conjunction. And again, that's just a
continuous continuous education evolving as our team grows
star and correspond with both group incredibly quick. So
catching up on that training is part of this quick growth.
Thank.
Thank you. That's all.
I've been.
I believe we have our man Conway next Isam, Alderman, Bill
Conway. I'm not, I'm not part of the committee, so I
appreciate you letting me like mask few questions and they
and Sam at something to do a great work. So thank you for
for joining us. Educate us on this recognize that I know
you said your data data portals down, but about any in a
year at the say, the city Clinic, about how many patients
do you treat a year? And maybe how many appointments do you
have do in a year? If that's, if anything's directional
would be appreciative, are you talkin to walk in?
Yeah.
Yeah, you said that there was two in the county and one in
the city. So I thought I would just focus on the city one,
but it may be a bit if you wanted to do it in the
broad-based / Clinic, you know, whatever, whatever date is
kind of easily accessible, I would stay on, you know, I
would say it's several thousand that are walk-in Center and
probably close to that at our Solution Center. And again,
I'm happy to get more numbers and send them over to you, so
that you have a coronavirus. Once our data system,
technology is not always our friend is working. I can tell
you that our contact. I would take over 3,000 people here.
I'm sure it's reaching more than 4,000 at this point and we
refer are probably our highest referral is. We're walking
Center and for Solution Center on in terms of, in the
moment. What can we do? We're so I would say add in other
First Responders who don't have a clinic in with them as
well as walk-in for a walk-in Center. Worsening, several
several thousand a year and they're both serve Denver
County, city and county.
Same, same thing and you know if it's possible for us to
get that information, that would be fantastic. I'm not on
the committee so I leave it to the share at the chairs
discretion but that it sounds like you've had more success
in terms of patient numbers then and then the city had the
city of Chicago had when we had clinics open so that the
image is fantastic. I'm also rough estimate to run the cost
to run a clinic per year if you even if
Funny.
And even easy thing to ask.
Unfortunate.
unfortunately, because I'm not the supervisor of the
I'm happy.
I'm happy to get those as well and send them off to the
committee. That would be fantastic. Thank you, madam
chairwoman for four adults in my non-committee nature and
ask him a few questions to think of her being here,
conversation, do we have Mariela on the line now?
Redo. I was just kind of adjusting my camera but I am on
now. Okay, great. We are going to finish with the testimony
of my day Lazarus from the Albuquerque model in New Mexico
and talk about the program in jail. My name is the director
for the third branch of Public Safety for the City of
Albuquerque. The Albuquerque Community. Safety department.
As known as ACS. We have started. We started in 2020. After
many of the other bar sister counterpart. Started their
programs after the murder of George Floyd in which we had
already been working on a substantial amount of Behavioral
Health mental health type of interventions when I came to
911 calls but nothing that was really making the dents or
the difference that we needed to see and so ultimately ACS
was born during that time and and
We?
We've nowt.
We've now to date, we've been in that was in 2020. We
implemented in 2021. And today, we've taken over almost
40,000 calls for service and 22 of those thousand calls
have been diverted from our police department. So I have a
couple slides that I wanted to at least show you and I'm
also going to put for purposes of others that want to
review. You can visit our website at cabq.gov ACS. I'll put
that in the chat. Is something that has all of our data has
our organizational plan and gives you really a really good
understanding of our Genesis of how we created. We are at
about a hundred and thirty individuals for our department.
So we are the largest and the longest-standing non police
response in the nation and We additionally how's our
violence Intervention Program on? Which many of you might
also be aware of. So just quickly as a
Over.
Over by.
Overview. And really I'm sure you guys have lots of
questions. If I can just share my screen quickly, is that
something that is possible.
and we,
Can we get some assistance to be able to share the screen?
Just as bad as getting done. I also wanted to kind of
describe a little bit of how our program is as created. So
we have multiple different types of teams from our highest
Acuity which is Arco response model, which we love that our
smallest only for clinicians who go out with police police
officers, ecit trampolines officers and they go out to a
very small percent of our calls. But enough that they're
the calls that are much more acute and much more severe
that is required of the of their clinical expertise and
mostly their clinical independent license. Because they are
the ones that do certificate for evaluation which would
require somebody to be transported to a hospital or second.
And third levels are really around Behavioral Health and so
we had our Behavioral Health responders, that's kind of our
meat and they will go to pretty much any call. That doesn't
have a weapon.
Emma.
And that doesn't have a criminal and of intent or
background understanding, right? We're not going to go out
to heavy theft. We're not going to go out to breaking and
entering things that really do have a Criminal Intent piece
of it. But do we work pretty closely with those individuals
especially if there's an underlying behavioral health
component absolutely. And then our last here, is our street
Outreach as many of
1 Riyal.
One really Nationwide. I think the biggest things that are
coming out this crime and homelessness and and so we do
have a homeless Outreach team that works pretty, pretty
heavily with providers, as a as really kind of a larger
Outreach component to our city in which we would go out and
work with our large enchantments. But surprisingly we also
are able to hit those hot spots in the city where we know
can be really dangerous at times and create a lot of safety
for those that are living in those, but I'll send that kind
of area, but also the neighbors that neighborhood area. So
I'm going to just share my screen quickly.
so, is
So as you can see here, this is kind of our this is our
monthly would give with you. As many of, you know, these
programs are still very new and very vulnerable and said
there's a big piece of it that we like to make sure that
our community as well. As those decision-makers around
funding understand our where we're at day today so we do a
monthly informational that goes out on my web page but you
can see here are total calls for service is what we have in
the orange. So we do take other types of calls referrals
from Partners 311 calls, or just Steve another right calls
from the mayor city, council others that might have
situations when they're in their areas of town. And then
the blue is our call diverted, from the police department.
You can see that there's cost.
You can see that there's constant kind of growth, some
months might be lower than others, depending on Staffing
that we have. All of our employees are in house. We as much
as I think that there was an idea of Contracting, a partner
out in the community. The biggest thing that we knew is
that we working at the city has great benefits, right? Got
some longevity is sustainable and the benefits are
fantastic. And ultimately we created these individuals pay
to be parity with police and fire. So I will say that that
was a big piece of the check. We have not had a problem.
Recruiting we had 50 positions earlier this year and had
five hundred applicants for those positions. We are not in
a place that this is people people really like these jobs.
They're think they're sexy and fun and it actually get them
out of an office where you would have to normal.
Call buy somebody for healthcare before you can work with
them. Just does not require that. So just to kind of move
on here you can kind of see you at some more numbers and
again this is all located in our transparency report. Is it
the kind of calls that we take so calls for service and
sheltered? Obviously is the number one, but most of these
also have a component of behavioral mental health welfare,
checks behavioral health issue, so on, and so on. But
you'll probably as unified 911 just kind of a catch, all
those tend to be a welfare check.
Set. An
Set an alarm license, such as individuals, and individuals
out there. And then the biggest, and I think one of the
best things we like to talk about ourselves is that we've
actually helped we've now been around long enough that we
can actually see the results from at least a 911 dispatcher
that are call volume, all those still very high as an
entire entity of 9/11, we have helped to bring down the
call wait time. So, you know, along with other strategies
that we've done with our Police Department, AC has been
able to take a lot of those lower to Laura cutie, to
medacuity, type of calls that will allow our police
officers to really focusing on the other high-level
high-crime type of calls. Most, in most cases here, right?
Average, we can get out to a call within 30 minutes. We can
clear it all within an hour and a half. And so I think
that's been really telling us
Large.
is larger.
the largest story about how police have really been able to
and don't get to a call in. And now we are now figuring out
a way to link our police directly to our responders. So
what that means is that when a police officer gets out to a
call, our dispatch system functions in the past and
function, that firewood normally just buy dispatches out.
Now, we can go in where police can actually request us
through the radio, and we get out to that call pretty
quickly so that we'll start to see an increase in calls for
service.
That is well.
We're still.
We're Citywide. So as though many cities kind of tiptoed
into this by taking a very, you know, a small portion of
their City
We?
We didn't really know what to expect that we kind of jumped
in with both feet. And so we are Citywide for a city, the
size of Chicago. It might be beneficial to tackle on a
couple of District or areas that we found that our city was
small enough to be able, to, to go Citywide. So we're about
a city of 600,000, but it's helpful just to let you guys
know these. We run this by our city council so that they
understand the need in their districts.
and the
And then you can go in some of the other things. We do get
a lot of calls just to let everyone is aware. I think the
biggest part of ACS and really I think what's amazing about
some of these alternatives to policing is that you'll start
to get a lot of different types of calls were people said
that you would never touch such as domestic violence. We
will never go to an active domestic violence knowing the
safety concerns that happened. During that we get a lot of
individuals who are willing to come to us in private and
tell us about their story and so that we can figure out how
to help them people on the streets. We're being sex,
trafficked, we have been able to get that person to build
rapport with that individual to that, they can come to us
for safety. And we can ultimately be able to find the
individuals who are
Organ.
Organized.
Organizing this type of crime, it has been a very helpful
thing for our city. We do not see this as something that is
I'm going away anytime soon or police chief and myself and
our fire chief Bill, really proud of what we've all
developed. As many of us as all three of us were really in
this together when we started. And we find new ways to
write right now, we're starting a fentanyl, an opiate
program in which he said dr. Support workers to go work
with all of the calls for overdoses that we get from our
paramedics so that we can try to cash those individuals
before they come back to being able to then say, well I
survived that overdosed, let me go back to my drugs so it's
been a really amazing journey to date a kind of stopped
there so I can help answer any questions or just my
thoughts blocks digest. So again, when you have time,
please feel free to visit our website to check out all of
our stuff. We also have a really am
Campaign that we do a branding was huge for us because it
is so new. So we did. We did a lot of branding for a
department as well, so you can easily Google us and find a
whole bunch. Thank you so much. My Ella are there any
questions from my colleagues in the chambers by Sara
Ramirez.
My Medela. So, I had a question since you guys are the
longest-standing program. Is there any way for us to do
more preventive work? So, instead of being there while
there's a crisis of any kind, is their sort of like any
telling signs anyway that we can also advocate for somebody
before that person is ticketed or incarcerated or harm is
done to another individual.
Absa.
Absolutely preventive Service. As many of, you know, I've
been around for a long time. And so there is no doubt that
you can do, right? And that's part of, why are opiate in a
new pilot is happening. That's why we have our balance
intervention programs and it's why we do a ton of education
on all the different types of situations that we run in.
But I will tell you that from a programmatic standpoint
preventative programs can be really difficult to measure
outcome because no matter what you do that prevented pieces
and always we can't actually sometimes measure that like
you talking to this individual was the reason that they got
back on their Pathway to success, but we can measure is how
often do I have to intervene from somebody who's in
psychosis jewelry, right? Because they're a high utilize.
911 system, right? Familiar faces or something that every
city deals with. Actually, when you do the, the numbers,
it's about 10% of the of the call that we get from the 9/11
standpoint. And I think that sometimes having both, right,
I'm a big believer that it's, it's about prevention
intervention and follow up, right? And that's really how we
function and how we really created our programs is that.
Yes, we are constantly out there talking about the Rifts
risks of fentanyl, how to address mental health, how to get
help before it gets worse. But I will tell you in just a
situation. We've been working with the young woman.
Or.
Or you know about three months and and just constantly me
we were working with her every week every week and still,
this was somebody who had ultimately unfortunately
committed suicide. We can't always determine what we did
and I will tell you that those are the kind of things that
I think these new departments have to be realistic about is
that we can work with individual day in and day out. Just
like many of our practitioners do at the hospitals at a
profit, but people have still have a choice and I think
it's because of the bigger issue that I'd probably a much
different conversation that we're having today, which is
ultimately about
Troy.
Choice and about ability to, you know, the commitment to
Howard actually allowing people to have consent much bigger
discussion that I'm I'm a part of a national standpoint but
definitely something that we're all having talking about.
But it's a date right now, at least for the City of
Albuquerque we have consent and people have to choose which
way they want to go down. But do we have amazing measure
than do? We actually see stronger results with people who
are willing to call is right when we have had people who we
worked with, we will get that call first. I am in crisis.
I'm in the moment that I need help and only this person who
knows my story, right? Is the person I can work with so
that that story comes up way more.
It will do sir.
Are you with us? Sorry, I might computer a moment. No
worries, no worries. I think Other Woman by Sara Ramirez,
still, has some questions? I did have a follow-up question
and we haven't really talked about this a whole lot today,
but is there any sort of partnership with the court system?
So I'll give you an example like in my neighborhood.
Currently there's a young man, he's homeless, he's not
enrolled in school but he carries a gun and so he's
How did?
How did the police various times? And so what is the
advocacy look like instead of incarcerating somebody like
how do we step in as mental health professionals and
advocating for that person instead of instead of them being
incarcerated different types of strategies one? Yes, we
work really closely with our ideas office in our hands are
intertwined with all of it. I mental health court or
homelessness court systems, right? Because they're very
specific. And so we have been able to work out some areas.
We will do a deferral, right? This person really is
committed to changing their lives. They will work with one
of our peers or one of our case managers. Ultimately, if
that does not work, then they will face, right? They will
be accountable for their actions. We have to consider this
right. Which is really the balance about compassion and
accountability, and I think that's always a difficult
conversation to have in the mental health world because
myself as a social worker,
Believe in Rehabilitation, believe in second third, fourth
chances, but we also know that sometimes it it it's not
appropriate for everybody and we do have to make sure that
for business owners, right? We got a lot of that and that's
what, that's a big thing that comes across. So we actually
partner with our Police Department. So here's a different
strategy is to. Ultimately, say when we do have individuals
who are stealing right fast, that big store right now, it's
been a big problem for Albuquerque.
If it is.
If it is probably going to end up being right, probably
either dismissed or maybe deferred out, maybe and it's
lower than a certain threshold and also specific to what
they're stealing sometimes we will get called out before
they do any ticketing or arresting and that helps is
understand. I'll give you a good example. We had a man who
was stealing food as the police, and the police were
working with the business owner. So they called us then cuz
it wasn't like he was stealing anything that probably could
be sold anywhere really specific. And so turns out this man
had five. Kids wife had died during covid and he was by
himself and so we didn't want to penalize this individual,
but instead really helped him and figure out how to get the
situation into a better place inside. Those are the kind of
example is that again, I think we're, we are interested in
partnering with our police, with right? And still draw the
line. We are not enforcement. If that is the police's job,
But we do want to make sure that even police officers in
her place where they're like, this guy's doesn't need to do
time. If anything is going to make perpetuate a worst
situation so we do have a lot of that type of Partnerships
and the last thing that I will stay and this is very
separate to a different tactic which is really around. Our
school baseball intervention programs. So I think right now
from the federal standpoint and many state and locals are
having a conversation around. How do we create the
Justin.
systems were
Distance between.
Systems within our schools so that we can catch this young
kid when he may or may not have caught him because you know
a lot of kids are taking them to school right now and they
do feel like they have to protect themselves. And so how do
we make sure that we and when we are program itself,
although we work with the the kids we also make sure to
work with the entire family unit and take it out to even
the neighborhood of unit one neighborhood has one household
is dealing with, this is probably multiple in that
neighborhood. So it has to be this kind of right person.
Centered family centered and then Neighborhood Center for
us to really try to beat ROM in Ormond heal. So there's
lots of different strategies that can be prevented if I
think part of your question. But I also think that there's
even that prevention and intervention that can happen when
somebody is in that crisis.
but,
But yeah, lots of different ways to be able to figure that
out.
where,
We're going to finish with other womanly, if nobody else
has questions right now. Go ahead, a little Emily. Thank
you and thank you, Maria. I love her being with us today
and sharing your expertise, two questions for you and just
and I appreciate vice-chair Ramirez's questions and that
leads into mine about the connectivity and what sort of how
much of any
an activity, is there for
An activity is there for like existing information on a
particular address? Person community sounds like you're
doing some of the sound like a case-by-case basis but I'm
wondering for as long as you've been doing this, have you
created any sort of databases? Let's say that would point
to like this is a hotspot and maybe there is something
going on here. And then how, how do you connect to all of?
How do you get everybody at the table? If it's a young
person who's carrying a gun to school and, you know,
they're, they're getting pressured by a gang or something
like that. And you know, what's causing them, a lot of
mental health stress because we could have a sibling who,
you know, died or something. I'm making up a sinner that
probably isn't really, all that far off, from what exists
in reality, some places. It seems to me there's a great
opportunity for their 2 for these various departments and
systems to talk to each other.
Well.
Well, I will tell you, just to address the coordination. I
meet with my police inspired by police chief and my fire
chief weekly. I will tell you, it's the does need to start
from the top but even then it wasn't until my mid-level
write my supervisor is my my fire, my kind of boots on the
street. Individual started working more closely with our
police than our firefighters, in our paramedics. And so,
although data can inform us on these hot spots that you're
talking about because all of our calls come through most of
our
Come to 311.
Come to 311 and 911. So the 911 system already collects
right already has a log of this house. Has had 28 visit
alone in the last month, right? And it'll also tell her do
not walk into that home. So that kind of information is a
safety peace for us heavily so it'll it'll automatically it
allows us to say this is not the right call for us, but
again, it but gives us that data. That we also know that
sometimes police are like, again I have to come to this
house again and then they'll say maybe I should be calling
a C S & S, this has a bigger issue and so a lot of times as
the police are car response which is a lot of coordination
officer who knows a supervisor while says
In.
You know, this is where I can call this person for backup
and those they look, I've already cleared the scene I had
to come into the situation cuz the daughter was violence or
whatever, but everyone's call. Now, do you think you could
come in and help us? And so we do a lot of that work. The
other piece around this is that
and,
and I think I kind of came in on the end of the last
presenter, but I will say as we work through this, we have
been what I really like to call the Catalyst. It is not my
job, to create new homeless shelters, or new Behavioral
Health Hub. It is work that I will help do because we have
really good information about what people would want in
those types of
Are you?
Maria is right, we have right now where we kind of doing
our entire Sheltering across the board and an Asus plays, a
big piece of that because we have that relationship with
individuals who have told you. I don't want to go to that
shelter because I don't feel safe. Okay, so safety, we need
to figure that out. So these, this to happen Department
doesn't just help with just those basic calls, but it's
also now acting as a system change around other areas,
right? We see this around our, our courts are jails. How
how police are doing their own policing sometimes. I mean,
it is being, it's a catalyst now because we have these
relationships with people and the bigger part of it is that
hiring. So, again, finding the right people for these jobs
is super, super important. Somebody who looks like me, who
speaks like me, who understands, you know, the issues is
going to be a lot more open to telling me.
Stop.
Story and I think we hired very diverse Lee, we worked
really hard to make sure that it's Equitable hiring and
that we are bringing the right people. And so that when we
send people into those neighborhoods are not talking to
somebody that they're like I would never talk to you, we
would never even be in the same room together there.
Talking to people who don't like, hey I already know your
story and actually my kid goes to the same school that your
brother goes to that's carrying that gun. And I already
know that your dad is
We ended up using.
Incarcerated.
Incarcerated right now because we're helping his mother and
me, and that's where we're making these connectivity is,
right? Because it's rarely that singular, kind of person.
It's multiple people who are getting and packed it though.
Just, I think that it's, it's really sometimes we can, we
can plan it been working with Seattle allowed on this
because they've been working on theirs. We can plan and try
to hijack. You know, like really think about how we're
going to make this work and all the little pieces. And do I
think that we need to have some areas in place before we
start these type of program is absolutely, but I will also
tell you that had, I waited 6 more months before we launch
this, this department would never have existed. I think
part of this is that you have to move. You have to move
when the stars. Align, you have to slowly or not saying
jump up speed to figure out how you get to that next level.
Because the biggest part about this is that are police for
3 months.
I want.
Had wanted nothing to do with us. If anything, it was just
constantly having to remind my stuff will get their guys
just ignore what they're saying. Don't worry about it, 3
months, and all it took was a couple calls for them to see
that, we could handle a situation without them, that they
would typically go to. And that's all it took it. So,
that's proof in the pudding is really, really necessary for
the bonding between First Responders across-the-board to
generally have respect for you.
The.
The other part about this is Public, Safety has almost
always been allowed. I'm going to say it aloud because I'm
in part of those meetings to not be about the conversation
around public house that has passed that has to stop,
right? I have included my, my chief of police, in more
Behavioral Health calls because I'm like, we can move two
people. We can arrest people, we can shift where we need to
ship, but at the end of the day, we are not supporting and
pushing the public health system then. At the end of the
day, we're not going to get any farther than they are. So
we got to start having these conversations collaboratively
and not in isolation or to be said, well that's not your
late know, it is my name. When I can't send somebody or, or
transport somebody or don't have a bed for them because
they're ready to sober up. That is my problem as a
behavioral, as a public safety cheese. So I think that's
going to be a big piece of how you think about.
That.
That strategy and how much you include your Chiefs, your
chief of police of chief of fire in your Public, Safety and
individuals and I think there was one more thing I really
wanted to touch on. But I will say that, you know, I think
right now this is still something that I think is still
very new but everybody who has done this and really stuck
to it, right? Been able to really move there has been
really good outcomes and it's not a one-size-fits-all. So I
think it's figuring out what you need most.
I think.
I think it's bigger.
I think it's figuring out how to make sure your police, in
your fire involved, make sure the communities involved and
then really taking it just day-by-day and step by step. But
don't let the don't let the planning hinder you from even
moving forward in a small piece, right? We had a mobile
crisis team at the time that we were creating a Smith, we
lost it under eye department. Let's move it. Let's keep on
shifting with keep on adding and so it's just taking what
you have now and also saying, okay where does this work,
should this really live and how do we both do that? So I
think they're open to any further discussion. I appreciate
your guys's time and any additional questions and
LOL, I'll turn it back to you after. I think one just one
quick question and it's a quick one word answer it. Thank
you, talked about not having a staffing issue. You had 50
slots and 500 people applied. What are the qualifications
for the people that you're hiring? Are they clinicians? Are
they licensed? Social workers? Can you give me a just a
little tidbit about that the gamut? I only needed for
independently licensed clinicians for micro response model,
which is the only model that can for somebody to be
transported to a hospital that is for positions for
officers for clinical independently licensed. Everybody
else although I have a variety I do have clinicians.
They're not required to have that. I think the minimum
requirement for our by kind of meat.
Depart.
Department.
The department is a bachelor's or Master's and we have
tears. So I created kind of a tier level so that if you
didn't have the Masters but you had you know, certain types
of qualifications you could still meet the, the demand. So
we are chair was here too, so based on that, it's normal
and or between a bachelor's or Master's and then forward it
6 years experience, in Behavioral Health, Som level. So I
actually had people who worked as paramedics. I do have
expires. I do have S police officers, but I also got
teachers teachers, who went to school for social work? It
did not like, working in social work, like they were just
like, I can't sit in an office, and sit here and, and turn
people away day by day while they're in crises. So, this
was a great one for I had, I do. Hire pure support workers
community health workers.
At 8.
And I have a ride variety of people who really creep,
people who did this, a lot of different works out. I think
you have to be a little more brought about it because
here's the thing, I know a lot of people who made who made
gotten the psychology degree and then didn't know what they
were going to do with it, but they have themselves been,
you know, exposed or they have family who have had doubt
with trauma, or they were the matriarch of their
neighborhood. I don't know. And a lot of them bring that
experience of the things I really look for in Canada is and
how it's set up right now. All my positions are classified.
this last year, I
This last year at classified all my employees so they are
not at will anymore. So 96% of my employees are classified
with a lot of. They do have a one-year, probationary
period, which allows us to be able to make sure that
they're good fit before they have that longevity. And then
they also unionized for good. And it was a good, a good
move for us at the time for that to be a good partnership.
But yeah, I mean, you can find all of our positions on our
web page and I will show you every qualification and the
years needed for all of those positions were not hiring. I
wonder if they're not hiring willy-nilly, but I also need
to make sure that I hire people who are ready for this kind
of work who understand the fed. This is a, we do call this
a first responder model because it is first line, you might
be getting to the steam firsthand. And some people can't
do, you know, they really like old traditional social work
and that's great. I love that too. But this is been, this
is real special and I think
Love.
love the
I love their work. I will tell you in our team's, love this
work. It really gives him a check at the quickness. The
pace and really been able to help somebody, we also do
transport. I don't think I mentioned, I failed to mention.
We will also transport it does have to be their choice, and
they do have to kind of, you know, sign a waiver, and make
sure that they meet up all our requests for putting their
bags in the back, seat, and all that stuff. The safety is
number one.
but,
But yeah, it's been fantastic. And we have we're just now
truly being able to do about three to four hundred hours of
training. So we are going to get ready to be able to be
re-certified Academy over the next year. So we're really
excited about that as well. Thank you so much for your
participation. Truman. Thank you for holding this public
hearing. I'm sorry that I came late. I ask too many
questions, but I'm so glad that I did because this is such
an important issue when I wasn't here, when the initial
ordinance was written. So it's been very educational for me
and I really look forward to working together with you on
this. Thank you. Thank you so much other womanly. I want to
thank everybody that has been a part of his hearing today
for taking the time and I'm putting in the energy and
effort to have these conversations that we've been wanting
to have for a very long time. What we heard today, besides,
the research and the studies and the conversations with
Community has been different models.
and,
And right now we have a huge possibility to create
something that is it was formed by what is already being
done across the country. With that also is particular to
the needs of our city, we have the expertise to do, we have
the people to build that with and I am really excited to
start partnering with May or Brendan Johnson and his
administration to create something that we are all going to
be proud of. And that is going to help us care for people
in the way that people need to be cared for
We are out of time for 4, now. So, would there be no further
business before the committee? May I have a motion to
adjourn.
So move by other persons went as and hearing no objections
to order. The meeting of the committee of on health and
human relations Is Now adjourned. Thank you everybody.