DEPARTMENT: Metropolitan Health Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Dr. Colleen Bridger, MPH, Ph.D
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Briefing on the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) Draft Report on the City of San Antonio first response system
SUMMARY:
The Community Health and Equity Committee will be provided a briefing on a draft report of the mental health coordination study being conducted by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) to identify improvements to the City of San Antonio first response system to strengthen and consider alternative responses to incidents involving an individual in mental health crisis.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On January 21, 2021, City Council approved an ordinance authorizing an amendment to an Interlocal Agreement with South Texas Regional Council (STRAC) for the purpose of adding $150,000 from the general fund to support a mental health coordination study to be conducted by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) to identify improvements to the City of San Antonio first response system that ensure appropriate response to incidents involving an individual in mental health crisis. The total budget for this project is $300,000 with MMHPI funding 50% of the cost.
The City currently has an interlocal agreement with the South Texas Regional Council (STRAC) for the purposes of providing mental health clinician services to support the San Antonio Police Department Chronic Crisis Stabilization Initiative (CCSI). The CCSI identifies, engages, and provides services to individuals who have been diagnosed with a serious and persistent mental illness and have frequent interactions with law enforcement via chronic 911 calls, referrals, or their own initiative.
STRAC is designated by the Texas Department of Health Services (DSHS) to develop, implement and maintain the regional trauma and emergency healthcare system for the 22 counties in the Trauma Service Area which included a mix of urban, suburban, rural and frontier areas from San Antonio to the Texas-Mexico border. As a part of their core mission, STRAC established the Southwest Texas Crisis Collaborative (STCC) to focus on ending the ineffective utilization of services for the safety net population at the intersection of chronic illness, mental illness, and homelessness in Bexar County. The collaborative provides a comprehensive integrated crisis system across major public partners, hospital providers, philanthropy, public safety (Fire/EMS and Law Enforcement) and behavioral health providers. Core functions of the STCC include serving as a lead backbone entity with core responsibilities including communitywide: data management, program oversight, contract/grant management, and ongoing administration of the social determinants of health platform, Signify Community. To this end, STRAC has worked with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute since inception of the STCC to support related data analysis and research.
This effort is part of the City’s review of Police Services presented to the Public Safety Committee on December 15, 2020. One of the goals of this review is to strengthen the City’s mental health response to 911 calls.
The final report will be completed at the end of July and will be presented to the Public Safety Committee in early August 2021.
ISSUE:
The MMHPI will provide a briefing on a draft report of the mental health coordination study being conducted to identify improvements to the City of San Antonio first response system to strengthen and consider alternative responses to incidents involving an individual in mental health crisis.
ALTERNATIVES:
This briefing is for informational purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This briefing is for informational purposes only.
RECOMMENDATION:
This briefing is for informational purposes only.