DEPARTMENT: Police Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: William P. McManus, Chief of Police
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Mental Health Unit/IMPACT Program Update
SUMMARY:
Over the last several years, the San Antonio Police Department has implemented nationally-recognized mental health programs and training to provide officers with the expertise and resources to effectively address mental health and drug addiction issues which are often underlying factors that influence homelessness and criminal activity. The Mental Health Unit and the Integrated Mobile Partners Action Care Team (IMPACT) Program, working in coordination with area advocacy organizations and health providers, facilitate service delivery to address the psychiatric and medical needs of individuals through referrals to various service providers.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Mental Health Detail
The SAPD Mental Health Detail (MHD) is comprised of ten officers and one supervisor that are trained to assist individuals with mental illness that are in crisis. The Mental Health Detail develops partnerships with mental health consumers, their family members and other mental health agencies and organizations to better serve the mental health consumer in crisis and responds directly to referrals and requests for assistance from external agencies and various departments.
Officers assigned to the Detail receive training from the Center for Health Care Services to identify and recognize individuals with mental illness. The ability of officers to recognize signs of mental illness has proven to be successful as evidenced by the significant decline in the number of use of force reports and the number of emergency detentions and diversions from jail to treatment facilities as outlined in the table below:
2016
2017
Mental Health Calls
1,153
1,825
Emergency Detentions
505
758
Emergency Detention in Lieu of Arrest
21
38
Use of Force |101010|In addition, the MHD works closely with area m...
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