The city of santa ANA proposes to implement the alternative response program

The City of Santa Ana received a $963,000 federal Project Grant award from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Congressionally Recommended Awards program (CFDA 16.753). The purpose of this 2-year grant is to expand the Santa Ana Multi-Disciplinary Response Teams (SMART), which provide trauma-informed social workers and mental health clinicians to respond to non-emergency 911 calls in the Santa Ana area. Key project activities include hiring additional SMART outreach teams, transitioning non-emergency calls to subject matter experts trained in crisis intervention, mental health, addiction, and medical services. This is expected to reduce the burden on the city's public safety system and provide more cost-effective resolutions for individuals experiencing mental health crises or substance abuse disorders. Additionally, the project aims to reduce Santa Ana's unsheltered homeless population, which has the second highest concentration in Orange County.

The purpose is to expand the santa ANA multi-disciplinary response teams (smart), which provides trauma informed-social workers and mental health clinicians to non-emergency 911 calls in the santa ANA area. Project activities include expanding and supporting the smart program by expanding existing resources such as hiring more social worker and mental health clinician outreach teams, transitioning non-emergency calls to subject matter experts who are highly trained in crisis intervention, mental health, addiction, and medical services to provide the best response to those in need. Activities proposed under this project will reduce the burden on the citys public safety system. Santa ANA has the second highest concentration of homeless individuals in orange county, thus many of the individuals served are homeless. Expected outcomes include: increased response times of law enforcement officers for calls for service, a cost-effective resolution for individuals experiencing mental health crises and/or substance abuse disorders, and a reduction of the citys unsheltered homeless population.