The Partners In Care program, a collaborative initiative designed to improve the response to behavioral health crises, will become available countywide starting tomorrow. This expansion marks a significant milestone as the West Precinct joins the program, completing the countywide rollout that began in June 2021.
The program operates on a co-response model that brings together a clinician from the Mental Health Cooperative and a specially trained patrol officer from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD). This team responds to calls related to behavioral health issues five days a week, aiming to provide immediate, on-the-scene support to individuals experiencing a crisis.
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Since its inception, the Partners In Care units have been dispatched to over 27,000 calls for service, with approximately 6,015 of these calls being directly related to mental health crises. This high volume of interactions underscores the critical need for specialized response teams in addressing mental health concerns within the community.
To further support this initiative, 279 MNPD officers and 93 supervisors have undergone an additional 40 hours of crisis intervention team training. This training equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary to handle mental health crises effectively, ensuring a compassionate and informed response.
A media event is scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the West Precinct Community Room. This event will provide an opportunity for representatives from the MNPD Office of Alternative Policing Strategies and the Mental Health Cooperative to discuss the program’s impact on the community. They will also highlight the importance of the ongoing partnership between law enforcement and mental health professionals in addressing and managing behavioral health crises.
The expansion of the Partners In Care program across the county represents a significant step forward in the collaborative effort to improve mental health crisis response. By bringing together the expertise of mental health clinicians and the resources of the police department, the program aims to offer more effective and compassionate assistance to those in need.
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