MENTAL HEALTH Galveston deploys new strategies for mental health crises response
2023 HEALTH CARE EDITION
BY RACHEL LELAND
scene is safe, and that we can really just get in there and take care of the hearts and minds of the individuals that we encounter.” In this three-person team, the police o cer exits the car rst to ensure the scene is secure before the paramedic evaluates the person. Finally, the clinician meets with the person to learn about their needs; provide them with appropriate resources, such as counseling, shelter, medication and housing; or o er immediate counseling in life-threaten- ing situations. COAST has saved the Galveston Police Department and the Galveston County Sheri ’s O ce a considerable amount of time because before the launch, these departments were responsible for transporting people to hospitals in Houston, a process that can take hours, Harris said. “Prior to this, the police would pick them up, and there was no discussion. Either it would be straight to the hospital or straight to jail,” said Penny Miller, COAST multidisciplinary response team care navigator. “The o cers couldn’t talk to them for an hour. They are needed out on the streets.” Pearland and Friendswood police department o cials con rmed they do not have a comparable program to COAST for responding to mental health protocols. Galveston County Sheri ’s O ce o cials con rmed it deploys mental health deputies and police o cers who have received training in responding to mental
On an early March morning, Galves- ton police responded to a call involv- ing a woman experiencing a mental health crisis who had armed herself with a knife and barricaded herself in the restroom at her mother’s apart- ment. The response team intervened, got the woman to cooperate and later connected her with mental health ser- vices, all through a new mental health emergency response program the city of Galveston launched in March. Compassionate Open Access to Ser- vices and Treatment teams comprise a clinician from the Gulf Coast Center, which partnered with the city to launch the program; a paramedic; and a Galveston police o cer trained to respond to mental health emergencies. When the COAST team is dis- patched, another police unit is usually present; however, the COAST team is speci cally trained and equipped to respond to individuals experiencing mental health crises in a way police cannot. According to Galveston Police Department Sgt. Jovan Harris, police o cers must undergo 16 hours of mental health training, but some argue that is insu cient. “I was talking with [police] Chief [Doug] Balli, and he said, ‘You know, Felicia, when my o cers arrive on the scene, you know what’s in our tool belt—handcu s and a gun—and we really do need some help,’” Gulf Coast Center CEO Felicia Je reys said. “We de nitely responded to that call, and now we’re able to make sure that they’re medically cleared, that the
Paramedic William Reed and cliniciwan Arielle Gray take notes after responding to a mental health call in Galveston on May 4. Followup is an important component of the COAST program.
RACHEL LELAND COMMUNITY IMPACT
COAST BY THE NUMBERS
health calls. Before COAST, the Galveston police department contacted the sheri ’s o ce’s established mental health divi- sion; however, this was a time-inten- sive process because the department had to lter through the sheri ’s o ce for transport, emergency detention orders and paperwork, Harris said. For the extent of Harris’ 19-year career, that’s the way it’s been, she said. Extended-observation unit While COAST has e ectively responded to acute mental health crises, Je reys said some people who interact with COAST need continuing care and cannot be safely let back into the community. The county transports people to St. Joseph Medical Center in Hous- ton in the current system, but the process can take hours away from o cers’ shifts. Gulf Coast Center and the county plan to build a 48-hour holding center, or extended-observation unit, to provide ongoing care. The facility will accommodate 10 people at a time, allowing them access to nursing; psychiatry; counseling;
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 30% of people who are chronically homeless have mental health conditions. Here’s a breakdown of the number of unsheltered people COAST, Galveston’s new mental health crisis response program, encountered.
Unsheltered 33
Not unsheltered 80
Subjects living unsheltered
SOURCE: GALVESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY IMPACT
crisis counseling; and referrals to physicians, housing or substance use disorder treatment. According to Galveston County Commissioner Stephen Holmes, the county dedicated $4 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to build the unit. Holmes also con rmed that the county would receive $8 million in state funding to operate the center.
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