Washtenaw County has launched an initiative to expand the use of unarmed responses to mental health crisis incidents.
The program, which began on Sunday, originates through the Sheriff’s Office but is a collective effort through all county municipalities. It involves two teams of clinicians to respond to mental health incidents.
There are three levels of response. In an emergency, uniformed police will respond, but not in others that don’t need such action.
Ypsilanti Police Chief Kirk Moore says, through triage and risk assessment, they’ll be able to determine the correct response.
“These scenarios change literally from moment to moment, so it is imperative that we have the right people integrated into our public safety, so they can make the proper notifications with the right tool for the right job."
The funding for the program is coming from a one-year grant. The clinicians will be teamed with non-uniformed officers unless a dangerous situation occurs.
The teams are available throughout the county.
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