Community mental health of ottawa county will expand the mobile, CO-responding crisis intervention team (CIT) in partnership with law enforcement agencies for effective stabilization of individuals…

This federal Project Grant award of $550,000 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Criminal and Juvenile Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (CFDA 16.745) will enable the Ottawa County Community Mental Health (CMH) organization to expand its mobile, co-responding Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in partnership with local law enforcement agencies. The program aims to improve stabilization and care coordination for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises throughout the Ottawa County region, which has a population of over 300,000 and a shortage of mental health providers. Key program objectives include increasing intervention and community resource connections for the target population, expanding CIT response across the county, and reducing unnecessary arrests, hospital transfers, or injuries during mental health crisis calls. The program plans to serve 1,500 individuals and maintain a co-response transport rate to jail or emergency departments below 5% of those served. Additionally, CMH will develop a comprehensive online resource center to support partner agencies in accessing local behavioral health services.

Community mental health of ottawa county will expand the mobile, CO-responding crisis intervention team (CIT) in partnership with law enforcement agencies for effective stabilization of individuals experiencing behavioral health crises throughout the region. Program activities will intervene at the earliest point of the sequential intercept model. The service population will be ottawa county, the fastest growing county in michigan with 303,372 residents spread over 1,631 square miles. In 2023, the ratio of mental health providers to the population was 1:450, substantially lower than the statewide ratio of 1:320. The program will cover priority consideration 2 to promote effective strategies by law enforcement to identify and reduce the risk of harm to individuals with mental health disorders or CO-occurring mental health and substance use disorders who encounter law enforcement and improve public safety. To best support positive outcomes and advance public safety, the program will increase intervention and coordination of care for mental health and/or substance use disorder populations in ottawa county experiencing a crisis; expand community mental health CIT response to all geographic regions of ottawa county; and reduce unnecessary arrests, hospital transfers or injuries occurring in mental health response calls. Program deliverables include serving 1,500 individuals, connecting them to appropriate resources in the community. The program will work to keep the rate of CO-response transports to county jail and hospital emergency departments to less than 5% of individuals served. Additionally, a comprehensive online resource center will be developed for partner agencies to easily stay updated with local behavioral health resources. There are no planned conference activities for the recommended award.