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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGMT - Orange County Health Care Agency (assigned mental health professional to SBPD)`yp eJ;UI , s �JCn:ona P COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH CARE AGENCY AND CITY OF SEAL BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT V �© rvPv eon This document is intended to clarify the respective roles of the parties involved. It is not legally binding and does not create any contractual obligations, but is intended to reflect a shared understanding of the parties. Psychiatric Enrereency Response Team (P.E.R.T.) / Law Enforcement Collaborative Partnership Description: The Orange County Health Care Agency (HCA) / Seal Beach Police Department (SBPD) Collaborative creates a combined mental health and law enforcement response team to assist mental health clients in accessing behavioral health services. The HCA provides a mental health clinician to partner with the SBPD in patrol field operations to facilitate a rapid response and provide thorough follow up. This collaborative serves as an endeavor to bring behavioral health services to the front - end of the law enforcement response. The Mental Health Team will intervene in a myriad of situations, some of which may not involve the chronically mentally ill. The key element of the collaboration is to respond and effectively resolve those calls for service where law enforcement personnel interact with individuals, many ofwhom are homeless and /or suffering from chronic mental illness. P.E.R.T. Collaborative Mission: It is the mission of the collaborative to provide a time sensitive, comprehensive and cooperative response to assist clients in mental health crises and to provide follow -up to ensure access to behavioral health programs. P.E.R.T. Collaborative Activities: • HCA will assign a mental health professional to the SBPD on a part or full time basis. This will consist of pre - designated ride along days, while providing alternate days for follow -up on calls. • The SBPD will assign at least one officer to be the department's primary liaison to the collaborative. • HCA will assist SBPD to establish a standard reporting protocol for SBPD personnel when a mental health client is identified. • HCA will assist SBPD to efficiently identify individuals with a mental illness and /or substance abuse problems. • HCA and SBPD will provide rapid response to mental health clients. • HCA will assess the needs of afflicted individuals, protect life and property, and make community based resource referrals where appropriate and coordinate hospitalization when this level of care is needed. • HCA will document the contact and provide pertinent information for case follow -up. • HCA and SBPD conduct research and evaluation of the collaborative and the method of law enforcement response. • HCA will provide on -going behavioral health related training to SBPD personnel. P.E.R.T. Collaborative Goals: • Provide mental health clients with the appropriate care and linkage to other resources as needed in a dignified and respectful mamter. • Prevent unnecessary incarceration or hospitalization of mental health clients. • Provide alternative care in a minimally restrictive environment. • Provide crisis intervention and evaluation with compassion and care. • Allow police officers to return to service sooner. • Reduce the amount of repeat calls for service. P.E.R.T. Collaborative Procedures: SBPD officers who are aware of individuals who potentially require behavioral health intervention will notify the designated mental health personnel assigned to the department. When possible, the officer is to facilitate an in person contact between the individual and mental health counterpart in the following manner: • Contact the Mental Health Team clinician for response to the scene. • If PERT is not available for a response, the officer on scene may contact the Crisis Assessment Team at 1- 866 - 830 -6011 for an assessment. • When PERT is not available, SBPD may develop a system to get a referral to PERT for follow -up at a later time. General Provisions: • HCA personnel will utilize best practices to assist individuals involved in these calls while also attempting to reduce the need for future police intervention. • HCA may complete a monthly report of referrals and forward the report to the Police Department. The referral report should include the date of the referral, referring officer, and disposition. • HCA and SBPD intend to maintain control and responsibility for their respective employees during the term of this collaborative partnership agreement. It is the intent of the participants that this collaborative partnership agreement can be terminated at any time for any reason by any of the participants. 2 Signatures: 5121�1g Date im Chief of Police Beach Police Department Annette Mugrditchian Date Director Adult & Older Adult Behavioral Health HCA(Behavioral Health Services