{"id":689340,"date":"2021-12-07T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/?p=689340"},"modified":"2022-12-21T16:28:52","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T22:28:52","slug":"okcs-new-plan-for-mental-health-emergencies-still-includes-police","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2021\/12\/07\/okcs-new-plan-for-mental-health-emergencies-still-includes-police\/","title":{"rendered":"OKC\u2019s New Plan For Mental Health Emergencies Still Includes Police"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Next month, teams of counselors and emergency medical technicians will join Oklahoma City police in responding to some of the city\u2019s mental health emergencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officers will continue to be on scene to respond to criminal activity and safety concerns. But in cases of non-violent mental health emergencies, they will call on a mobile crisis team for support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clinicians from NorthCare, one of the state\u2019s largest mental health treatment providers, will provide counseling on scene, determine the best way to help and connect the person to care, which could include water, food, shelter, medication, regular counseling, support groups or hospitalization. EMTs will provide basic medical care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new program, called Champions, aims to provide social services during a crisis rather than after-the-fact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even as NorthCare hires counselors to staff the new mobile units, stakeholders remain divided about the best way to help people in crisis and keep them alive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As police and NorthCare staff worked on a solution behind the scenes, a more transparent discussion among community members charged with improving the city’s mental health response was also underway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some say the resulting friction is symptomatic of a divide between Oklahoma City residents and the agencies created to serve them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Josh Higginbotham, a member of the Oklahoma City chapter of Black Lives Matter, served on the task force. Higginbotham presented details about programs in Eugene, Oregon, and Denver that could serve as foundations for a new effort in Oklahoma City. In both programs, counselors and community members respond to calls without police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA couple of months ago everyone seemed to be on the same page in favor of a community response and I felt at least somewhat optimistic,\u201d Higginbotham said. \u201cNow, I’m wondering what the hell is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evidence of Fatal Systemic Flaws<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Police are the first, and sometimes only, line of defense for Oklahomans facing a mental health crisis. The result can be \u2014 and sometimes has been \u2014 deadly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Oklahoma City police department does not track how many mental health calls resulted in use of force or death, but two recent shootings point to fatal systemic flaws.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Oklahoma City Police who are trained in crisis intervention wear a CIT patch on their uniforms. Master Sgt. Corey Nooner (pictured) said people often recognize the patch and discuss mental health concerns with him when responds to a call. (Whitney Bryen\/Oklahoma Watch)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One year ago, 60-year-old Bennie Edwards was shot and killed by Oklahoma City police after officers responded to a disturbance outside Extra Cash Gold and Loan, a pawn shop at the corner of North Pennsylvania Avenue and Hefner Road. Edwards had a history of mental illness and was known by community members for selling flowers on the street. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, Edwards\u2019 family filed a civil lawsuit against Oklahoma City and two officers who responded to the call on Dec. 11, 2020, including Sgt. Clifford Holman who has also been charged with manslaughter for excessive use of force in Edwards\u2019 death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May, 34-year-old father Daniel Hobbs was fatally shot in his grandfather\u2019s front yard during an altercation with an Oklahoma City police officer who was trained in crisis intervention<\/a>. The officer answered a call from a neighbor who told dispatchers Hobbs might be high because \u201che\u2019s been staring at the clouds forever.\u201d Moments before he was killed, Hobbs told the officer he had a mental illness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oklahoma City police answered<\/a> nearly 20,000 mental health calls last year. Most officers have little training in mental health response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Oklahoma City, 124 out of more than 1,100 officers are trained<\/a> in crisis intervention. Another 47 attended the 40-hour training last week and are awaiting their certification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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47 of our officers attended 40-hours of Crisis Intervention Team training this week.

The training is significant and teaches officers how to help folks suffering during a mental crisis and getting them the mental health resources needed. pic.twitter.com\/4fAwuFUe9i<\/a><\/p>— Oklahoma City Police (@OKCPD) December 3, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>