The city of durham through the durham police department, lead agency, is requesting funding to plan and implement its initiative

The City of Durham, through the Durham Police Department, has been awarded a $549,671 Project Grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Criminal and Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (CFDA 16.745). The funding will be used to plan and implement the city's "Familiar Neighbors Care Team" initiative, which aims to respond to the growing mental health needs of Durham's population.

The grant will support the hiring of one licensed clinical social worker and two certified peer support specialists who will operate within the city's Community Safety Department to provide proactive outreach, intensive case management, and care coordination for individuals with mental health disorders or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders who have a history of frequent interactions with public safety. Additionally, the funding will cover training, a site visit to learn best practices from another "Familiar Faces" program, and the purchase of necessary supplies and equipment for the new positions. The project period runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027.

In order to respond to durhams growing mental health populations needs, the citys police and community safety departments in partnership with the countys justice services department are collaborating in the development of a familiar neighbors care team. The program will pilot a new unit of mental health professionals that will be dedicated to supporting people with mental health disorders or CO-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, who have a history of frequent interactions with public safety. The team will proactively meet with people in the community to build trust, provide intensive case management and care coordination for these familiar neighbors. If awarded this grant, funding would be used to hire one licensed clinical social worker and two certified peer support specialists, who would operate out of the citys community safety department (which provides mobile crisis response under the supervision of independently licensed clinical social workers). IT will also fund training, asite visit to another familiar faces program to learn best practices, and the purchase of supplies and equipment needed for the three new positions. There are no planned conference activities for the recommended award.