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FORIMMEDIATERELEASEMediacontactsMMHPIpress@texasstateofmind.org972.884.4660
DallasLaunchesCoordinatedResponseProgram
forBehavioralHealthCalls
MeadowsMentalHealthPolicyInstitute,DallasFire-RescueDepartment,DallasPoliceDepartmentandParklandHealth&HospitalSystemannouncepartnershiptoprovide
specially-trainedresponseteamsfor911calls;Programisfirst-of-its-kindinTexas
DALLAS,January22,2018–TheMeadowsMentalHealthPolicyInstitute(MMHPI),DallasFire-Rescue Department (DFR), Dallas Police Department (DPD), and Parkland Health & HospitalSystem today announced the launchof theRapid IntegratedGroupHealthcare Team (RIGHTCare)pilotprogram,whichwillprovideacomprehensiveemergencyresponsetocallsinvolvingbehavioralhealthemergencies.Thefirst-of-its-kindprograminTexasisaninnovativepartnershipinvolving specially-trained and equipped paramedics, police officers, and mental healthprofessionalswhowill respondasasinglecoordinatedteamtosafelyandeffectivelymanagepatientsexperiencingbehavioralemergencies.ThefirstphaseofthisprogramwilllaunchJan.29inSouthCentralDallas,thankstoagenerousgrantfromTheW.W.Caruth,Jr.,FoundationatCommunitiesFoundationofTexas(Caruth).“DallasFire-Rescueisexcitedaboutthelaunchofthisinnovativeprogram,whichpartnershighly-trainedandexperiencedDFRparamedicswithaDallaspoliceofficerandParklandbehavioralhealth specialist to better serve the needs of select patients experiencing behavioral healthemergenciesinDallas,”saidDanielSalazar,AssistantChief,DallasFire-Rescue.“TheRIGHTCareprogramwillprovidetheDepartmentandthecitywithanothertooltoaddressspecificpatientrequestsforassistancewithmoreappropriateresourcestherebymaintainingtheDepartment'soperationalcapabilitiestorespondtoothermedicalemergencies.”TheprogramwillconsistofthreeRIGHTCareteammembers,aspecially-trainedpoliceofficer,paramedicandbehavioralhealthspecialistfromParklandthatwillbedispatchedtorespondtobehavioral-healthrelatedcallsinSouthCentralDallas.Theteamswilloperate16hoursperday,sevendaysaweek.Initialoperatinghoursarebasedonpeakcalltimesforbehavioralhealth-relatedemergencies.AParklandmentalhealthclinicianwillalsobehousedinthe911-callcenter
totriagecallsandserveasaliaisontoDPDofficersacrossthecity.Withtheadditionofthementalhealthclinicianinthecallcenter,thisapproachisthefirst-of-itskindinthecountry.AcomprehensivestudybyMMHPIfundedearlierbyCaruthfoundthatthenumberofmentalhealth-relatedemergencycallstotheDallas911centerincreasedbyanaverageof18percentfrom2012 to2015,with somedivisions surgingup to85percent. The studyalso found thatroughly17,000peoplewithmentalillnessarebookedintotheDallasCountyjailannually,and40percentreturnwithinayearoftheirrelease.ThisprogramwilldramaticallychangetheresponsetothesepatientswhilealsodecreasingtheneedtoutilizeotherscarceEMS,police,andhospitalemergencydepartmentservicesthroughoutthecity.“WebelievethisprogramwillenhanceEMSservicedeliveryoverallasambulanceunitswillbemore available to respond tootherhighpriority EMS calls in a timely fashion,” saidMarshalIsaacs, MD, Medical Director, BioTel/EMS System, Dallas Fire-Rescue, attending emergencyphysicianatParklandandProfessorofEmergencyMedicineatUTSouthwesternMedicalCenter.“Theongoingdataanalysis in thispilotphaseof theprogrambyMMHPIwill help gauge theeffectiveness of the programandwe look forward to reporting those results and potentiallyexpandingtheprogramtomoreareasofthecityinthefuture.”“ThispartnershipexemplifiestheservicefirstmissionoftheDallasPoliceDepartmentandthecity ofDallas. Withpolice, fire, andhospital personnelworking together on theRIGHTCareprogram,weareabletoprovidethebestservicetoourcommunity,”saidU.ReneeHall,Chief,DallasPoliceDepartment.“People call us for help and our philosophy is to provide that help with compassion. ThepartnershipsinRIGHTCareallowustobuildonthatcompassiontoprovidemeaningfulandtimelyhelptoourmostvulnerableresidentsinDallas,”saidPaulStokes,AssistantChief,DallasPoliceDepartment,whoservedasakeyprojectplannerforthepolicedepartment.LeadershipfromDFR,DPD,andParklandworkedwithateamfromMMHPI’sCaruthSmartJusticeProjecttodocumentthebaselinetrendsdrivingemergencycarecurrentlyandtoexaminebestpractices around the country for responding to individuals experiencing behavioral healthemergencies. The program was designed, utilizing research-informed best practices, tosignificantlyimprovetheresponsetobehavioralhealthcallswhilediminishingtheneedtoutilizeotherexpensiveandalreadyoverburdenedresourcesthroughoutthecity.“Individualslivingwithmentalillnessshouldonlybeinvolvedinthecriminaljusticesystemwhentheyhavecommittedanoffensewarranting that involvement,andabouthalfof those in theDallasCountyJaileachdayarethereonlybecauseofanuntreatedmental illness,”saidAndyKeller, PhD, President and CEO, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. “With theimplementationof theRIGHTCareProgram,alongwith theother componentsof theCaruthSmart Justice Plan, Dallas emergency responders and mental health professionals can help
ensurethosewhoneedmentalhealthcarewillreceivetheircareintherighttreatmentsettingratherthanajailcell.”“As theclinicianmembersof themultidisciplinaryRIGHTCareresponseteam,Parklandsocialworkers bring extensive experience in the Psychiatric Emergency Department setting to thismobile program. Their training enables them to quickly evaluate a patient to determine theappropriate resourcesand levelofcare foreach individual,”saidKurtisYoung,MSSW,LCSW,SocialWorkManager, inParkland’sPsychiatryDepartment.“WeanticipatethatParkland’sEDwillalsobenefitfromtheRIGHTCareprogrambydivertingmanypatientsawayfromhospitalemergency rooms where they frequently seek care. We believe this approach will improvepatientaccesstoappropriatecareandistherightapproachforDallas.”
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