Buckeye Police Department 2023 Connect and Protect Crisis Intervention Law Enforcement Behavioral Health Co-responder Program

Buckeye Proposal Abstract

The Buckeye Crisis Response Team (CRT) program is a coordinated effort of the Buckeye Police Department (BPD) and Crisis Preparation and Recovery (CPR), to provide a law enforcement/mental health co-responder program.  BPD is a full-service law enforcement agency providing policing services to citizens of Buckeye and its visitors.  CPR is an Arizona state-licensed, Title XIX certified behavioral health outpatient, medication, and crisis services company. CPR services include outpatient counseling, medication management, crisis interventions, transitional care, SMI evaluations, CISM trainings, and disaster/crisis management consulting. CRT and CPR seek to expand their crisis intervention team by adding another co-response team and perform more quality interventions with more persons in crisis, prioritizing the following areas:  individuals at risk of harm with mental health disorders (MH) or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD), female offenders with MH or MHSUD, and offenders at moderate to high risk of recidivism, focused on areas which are federally designated as historically disadvantaged communities. These interventions will utilize evidence-based practices. The region features a broad crisis continuum, including a 24/7 crisis line, one medical mobile crisis team, a 24/7 Crisis Response Center available to adults and juveniles, medication assisted treatment clinics, one dedicated law enforcement-mental health team, and more. This past 12 months CRT responded to approximately 1100 calls and plan to extend that up to 2000 with an additional grant funded co-responder team. BPD co-responder team model features a master’s level clinician who serves as the program manager, teamed with a crisis intervention trained police officer. Each co-responder team will respond to crisis events, provide community stabilization, conduct follow-up case management, address complex medical issues, and train law enforcement personnel across Maricopa County (a MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge site which actively studies racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system) in de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention, and trauma informed care. CRT and CPR work closely to identify and prioritize vulnerable populations into treatment solutions, a model recognized as a Bureau of Justice Assistance/Council of State Governments Learning Site. The team leverages data collected under these initiatives and a peer response model to promote strategies which feature diversity, equity, and inclusion. The team will utilize ongoing monitoring and evaluation to review quality improvement, assess the impact of the project on behavioral health disparities related to access, and engagement in mental health and substance use disorder treatment, as well as outcomes such as recidivism.