The Alliance for Interracial Dignity invites you to join the December community meeting on Zoom Thursday, December 16, 7 - 8:30 pm, to learn more about the practice of behavioral health partnerships with first responders.

The police, EMS, and fire departments aren’t the only first responders. Behavioral health needs drive many calls to 911 for assistance but a police officer and/or EMS response is often not the best response for these behavioral health related calls. Behavioral Health Response (BHR) currently partners with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) using a co-responder model to address behavioral health concerns as an alternative to hospitalization and/or jail. The purpose of the Crisis Response Unit (CRU) is to de-escalate, stabilize, and divert individuals from jail and/or the hospital to more appropriate services. CRU, also known as the 'purple shirts,' consist of a BHR clinician and a SLMPD police officer responding as partners on calls related to behavioral health crisis such as mental health, substance use, trauma, quality of life events, self-sufficiency incidents, and more. Presently, the CRU has diverted 98% of individuals from jail and 85% of individuals from hospitalization.

Guest speakers:

Felicia Spratt, MS, LPC, Clinical Director of 911 Diversion, Behavioral Health Response

Bart Andrews, Ph.D., Chief Clinical Officer, Behavioral Health Response

Join us to learn about this program and to open our minds to alternative police partnerships and the pursuit of a more holistic vision of public safety.

Please register to receive the zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtdeGsqTMiHdTkEhuimRrp0RbbWdmX08ti