BJA FY 22 Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health Response Program

This proposed project requests to be considered for “Priority Considerations” as it relates to serving under-privileged and historically underserved populations at the University of Florida (UF) including students, employees, hospital staff, patients, and non-affiliates.  Information related to priority consideration can be viewed on pages 3,7,8, and 9 of the proposal narrative.  The lead and partner applicant are both the University of Florida Police Department (UFPD).  UFPD recently hired a clinician who will oversee a team of internal clinicians.  UF is located in north-central Florida, is designated as the flagship land-grant university for the state of Florida, is a Research 1 institution and is currently ranked fifth among the nation’s public universities.  Additionally, UF campus is the home of a Level I trauma center and leading organ-transplant teaching hospital. These components are important as they attract a diverse student and employee body.  UFPD is responsible for the safety and welfare of approximately 65,000 students, 17,000 employees, 15,000 hospital employees, and thousands of patients at UF Health Shands hospital across 2,200 local acres.  UF is commonly called “a city within a city.”  UF houses approximately 8,000 undergraduate students traditional residence halls and approximately 1,000 graduate students and their families.  Of these 1,000 graduate students, approximately 85% are international students.  UF is considered a “PWI” or Predominantly White Institution with approximately 53% of undergraduate students, 67% of staff, and 66% of faculty identifying as white and often has difficulties in retaining students and staff of color and other marginalized and underserved identities including, but not limited to, international/visa status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability status.  Because these identities have been historically marginalized, they are less likely to access mental health resources oftentimes due to stigma and economic abilities and more likely to have had negative encounters with law enforcement.  Launching the UFPD Co-Responder program hopes to remove some barriers.  UFPD’s co-responder teams plan to serve as many calls for service as are applicable, thus determining a number of individuals served is uncertain at this time.  Assisting in serving under-privileged and historically underserved populations that are unique to a population such as UF will be obtained through officer and clinician training as well as educating campus and visitors that such a team exists and can be requested if available.  UFPD has never been the recipient of Connect and Protect funds, no subcontractors are anticipated, and is seeking $549,398.00.