Clinicians On Scene With Police For Mental Health Disputes

Nashville is expanding a pilot project that pairs mental health professionals on scene with police after the program’s first seven months producing positive results. This project, “The Partners in Care,” brings clinicians and Nashville police officers together on calls that are flagged as
”potential” mental health crises.

Results released so far show the value of clinicians joining police on 247 calls:

• Just 4% of the calls resulted in arrest and fewer than 1% resulted in the use of force

• Roughly 35% included someone who was transported to the local Crisis Treatment Center or a hospital

The project is expected to continue through June 2022.

In a counter approach, New York City has a free Mental Health Response Team known as “B-Heard” that responds to nonviolent mental health calls with paramedics and mental health professionals instead of police.

Miami’s police taskforce in Florida has a triage team of its own trained in addressing difficult situations at home from violence to potential suicide situations, and helps transfer people to the right level of care, but not in hospitals.