HAYWARD — In Hayward, slightly than simply police exhibiting as much as deal with 911 psychological well being crises, medical professionals are actually usually known as to assist as effectively.
The brand new strategy is exhibiting promising outcomes, with arrests or citations in solely two of the 174 circumstances referred to the choice program since September.
“It’s about applicable sources, not turning a blind eye to the oldsters which are slipping by means of the cracks,” stated Hayward Fireplace Chief Garrett Contreras in an interview. “How can we ensure that there’s a security internet there to maintain individuals from spiraling inside the system?”
The beginnings of the Hayward Analysis and Response Workforce, or HEART, got here final Could, when the Hayward Metropolis Council unanimously authorised its funding. The choice to create a psychological well being disaster group to deal with some emergency calls was prompted by the motion opposing police violence after George Floyd’s homicide.
Hayward police even have been criticized for the way in which they've dealt with some psychological well being disaster calls. In a single occasion, police shot and killed Agustin Gonsalez, 29, in 2018 whereas investigating a report that he was on the road performing unusually and waving what gave the impression to be a knife.
It was later found that Gonsalez was holding a field cutter; Hayward settled a lawsuit together with his household, paying $3.3 million.
“I believe that we’re getting there,” Hayward Metropolis Councilmember Aisha Wahab stated in regards to the HEART program after a presentation at Tuesday’s Metropolis Council assembly. “For us, [the program is about] collaboration; it’s the teamwork that must be finished.”
The Hayward Analysis and Response Workforce program is a two-pronged partnership between the police and hearth departments. The Cellular Analysis Workforce, or MET, pairs an armed police officer educated in disaster intervention with a behavioral well being clinician to reply calls. The opposite aspect of this system is the Cellular Built-in Well being Unit, or MIHU, by which a firefighter-paramedic and a psychological well being clinician reply calls.
Which group is distributed relies on how violent the individual in disaster is or is more likely to turn into, in line with Contreras.
“The potential for violence, that could be a actual delineator,” the hearth chief stated. “If there may be the potential for that, then it's undoubtedly a regulation enforcement situation. If there is no such thing as a actual concern of violence and regulation enforcement has turn into the useful resource of necessity, then we need to change that mannequin and supply different sources and keep away from these pointless contacts.”
Police and firefighters who reply 911 calls can request one of many groups. Contreras expects the groups will likely be despatched out straight on some 911 calls sooner or later as soon as dispatchers be taught to establish when they're wanted from simply the cellphone name.
The Cellular Analysis Workforce, with a police officer and clinician, started in June and has dealt with greater than 200 calls.
Hayward is partnering with Tiburcio Vasquez Well being Middle for the Cellular Built-in Well being Unit, which has a firefighter and clinician. It's a a lot newer program, having solely began on a part-time foundation on Jan. 22. The plan, for now, is to have it function 20 hours per week.
“We’re actually attempting to make use of [police] solely when it's completely needed as a result of there are not any different choices and there’s a possible for violence,” stated Emily Younger, the administrator of the Hayward Youth & Household Providers Bureau.
Although there was some success, HEART is just not with out its challenges. There have been staffing points as a result of high-quality behavioral clinicians are in excessive demand and there's a lack of psychological well being care services to supply remedy.
The Cellular Built-in Well being Unit group consists of Frank Crespo, a firefighter-paramedic, and Jacqueline Bautista, a licensed marriage and household therapist. Bautista has labored with town for many years and Crespo is a longtime metropolis resident, including that “Hayward’s dwelling.”
“I believe it's a good different as a result of it provides the group a possibility to see that we’re attempting to do issues in a different way,” Bautista stated about this system. “We’re attempting to go on the market and tackle the problem in order that the individuals will be capable to see a non-threatening … individual coming to the scene.”
Crespo notes that society has modified, however the 911 system hasn’t.
“For some individuals who don’t have insurance coverage, that’s how they see a physician. For individuals’s continual points, the emergency room doctor is their main care,” he stated.
Earlier than becoming a member of the Cellular Built-in Well being Unit group, as a firefighter-paramedic, Crespo stated he was solely with sufferers briefly whereas answering emergency calls. Underneath the pilot program, Crespo can comply with up with sufferers and get them the assistance they want.
In a single current case, Crespo and Bautista checked on somebody who had known as 911 49 instances in a single yr to search out out what was happening. That individual was calling largely due to falls and medical emergencies. Crespo and Bautista helped tackle the individual’s medical wants and to Contreras’ information, that individual has not known as 911 since.
Till this system is at full staffing, Bautista divides her time between the psychological well being group and because the program’s behavioral well being coordinator, participating in digital and in-person neighborhood informational conferences to speak about this system and take heed to individuals’s issues. She additionally has gotten suggestions from group teams to assist tailor this system.
The objective is to have Bautista spend all her time because the coordinator. There are also plans to extend the hours for the paramedic/psychological well being employee response group.
The HEART pilot program has a one-year finances of $1,228,600, funded by the freezing of 5 police officer positions.
At Tuesday’s Metropolis Council assembly, Cynthia Nunes, a member of the Hayward Group Coalition and Gonsalez’s cousin, criticized what she stated was a scarcity of group engagement concerning the brand new program.
“The group has been crying to you to don't have any cops responding to behavioral well being wants, after which now … you’re partnering with the police division once more, which appears to me that y’all aren’t listening,” Nunes advised the council.