The Irving Police Department has created a new team to respond to mental health crises. The team, comprised of a mental health professional as well as three specially-trained police officers, was created with guidance from the Caruth Smart Justice Program of the Meadows Health Policy Institute.
According to the department, the team members will be able to respond to emergency calls involving issues of behavioral health. The team will also provide follow-up calls, and outreach efforts as necessary. City officials can inform residents of measures like this by using flyer printing.
The department also noted that what they call “behavioral health emergency detentions” are increasing, leading them to recognize they needed a better way to handle these calls. Behavioral health calls are those that occur when someone is out of control, and their behavior becomes a danger to themselves and others. Situations like this must be handled promptly to prevent injury, and trained personnel can recognize the symptoms of such behavior, which is why the new team was created.
The team that has been created in Irving is the first such unit in Texas to be led by police. In addition, a care coordinator/jail navigator will be assigned to Irving by the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority. The new measures mean the response to people with behavioral issues will be borne by the medical community instead of law enforcement personnel.