Mobile Crisis Intervention Team

PLAN:

Our goal continues to focus on overdose prevention and response as outlined below.

This initiative is a post-overdose outreach effort engaging overdose survivors and their social networks (e.g., family, friends, and acquaintances) to create positive outcomes. The overarching objective is to implement a strategy that addresses priority needs within the region/local by increasing public safety through a community-based endeavor designed to reduce or eliminate citizen harm and free law enforcement to perform their criminal justice duties effectively.  The approach also includes helping individuals in substance use or mental health involved crises avoid unnecessary arrests, unintended injurious force by police officers, and involuntary commitments to the hospital.

The plan incorporates engaging stakeholders to develop and create safe and supportive responses. These responses may consist of connecting individuals and their social networks with support services, appropriate health care, education on the disease of addiction, harm reduction services, safety education, parenting education, education on any co-occurring health care needs and training and treatment for those who suffer from a substance use disorder, and services for those coping with death or serious injury.  The collaborative will consist of those with a stake in the community's well-being, including treatment professionals, grief counselors, social services, peer support entities, and government community resources. The engagement goal of the initiative is to follow up within 24-72 hours or as requested by the contacting authority.  This time frame is crucial for potential behavior change in participants; letting them know care is available, increasing the likelihood for positive outcomes. 

The principal goals are 1) prevent fatal overdoses by connecting survivors with harm reduction resources, evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder and recovery supports; 2) engage people at high risk for overdose who are not otherwise receiving services or practicing overdose prevention, including optimizing engagement and minimizing criminal-legal consequences for the overdose survivor or others present; and  3) engage and assist those in need of post traumatic services.

PARTNERSHIPS:  Referrals for follow-up will come from three partners:

HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas)

Our response will be in coordination with the Nevada HIDTA law enforcement overdose investigative task force, known as the Overdose Response Team (ORT). This will allow for appropriate services and timing of interventions to support those in crisis.  By partnering with HIDTA, we will have access to accurate overdose data; this has been a challenge and barrier due to HIPPA regulations. 

The City of Henderson’s Office of Public Response (OPR)

The Office of Public Response partners with a non-profit organization, HELP of Southern Nevada, who staffs the Henderson Homeless Response Team (HHRT).  The HHRT conducts outreach and provide housing options and services to unsheltered individuals in Henderson at the direction of OPR. The mobile crisis intervention team will be an additional supportive service for proactive overdose outreach prevention, harm reduction and response to behavioral health crises.

Henderson Police Department

The police department can make referrals based on specific calls for service for behavioral health crises involving substance misuse.  The mobile crisis intervention team will follow up on these calls to offer intervention and community-based services.