The Pittsfield police force has launched a pilot program that allows officers and a mental health clinician to respond more quickly to calls.
The Joint Response Team, made up of two plain clothes officers and a mental health professional, travel together to a scene. Outside of the pilot program, clinicians travel in a separate car.
Social worker Richard Collins, who directs co-response at the police department, said not only do clinicians arrive quicker, having officers not in uniform is easier for people in crisis.
"When they see that uniform, that may sometimes even escalate the situation. With officers coming with us now, in plain clothes, in an unmarked car, that has a tendency to de-escalate the situation from the very beginning," he said.
Collins said his team responds to people in the midst of a mental crisis, those with substance abuse issues, as well as most vulnerable populations.
Six police officers are participating in the program, which is operating on a trial basis.
They are "working an extra shift to do this work right now," Collins said. "There's additional training for the officers in regards to mental health conditions."
Police Chief Thomas Dawley said in an email, "This is another resource we have in our toolbox and at our disposal to help."
Back on March 25, 2022, there was no clinician on duty when police responded to a call about 22-year-old Miguel Estrella, who was in the midst of a mental health crisis and holding a knife. A police officer fatally shot him. No criminal charges were filed against the officer.
Now, there are three mental health professionals in the police department, enough to cover seven days, although not 24/7.
A couple of years ago mental health co-responders who worked with police were employees of a mental health provider, The Brien Center. Now they work as part of the police department.
"That has brought, I think, a closeness that wasn't there before. Just being a part of the department and being stationed at the department," Collins said, "... we have no other obligations other than to respond with the police now."
