Sponsor: Safety and Justice
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Appropriate Response Initiative Award Recipient of the National Association of Social Workers Minnesota Chapter - Paul & Sheila Wellstone Award for Social Justice
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Recommendation
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None. For information and discussion only.
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Background and Rationale
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The entire Appropriate Response Initiative team has been selected as the recipient of the National Association of Social Workers Minnesota Chapter prestigious Paul & Sheila Wellstone Award for Social Justice! This award is a testament to the teams’ tireless dedication and innovative efforts to create a 9-1-1 system with more robust options to meet the diverse needs of the Ramsey County community. Appropriate Response Initiative intentional focus on serving the needs of Black and American Indian communities exemplifies their commitment to equity and social justice. Their work has undoubtedly made a significant impact on the lives of those you serve, and it is truly commendable.
This team consists of Ramsey County employees and community members who share in the decision making for all aspects of ARI. This group of over 40 people works tirelessly to advance this work to create a 9-1-1 system with more robust options to meet the diverse needs of the Ramsey County community. Transforming a system like this one is not easy, and although there are challenges along the way this team continues to show up, work through challenges, and dismantle barriers standing in the way of centering community and wellness in the justice system. With an intentional focus on Black and American Indian communities this team is leading the way for how local governments can center racial equity, and share power with community.
Launched in 2022, the Appropriate Response Initiative is intended to enhance 911 responses across Ramsey County by focusing on resident well-being and community. Key successes have been creating new roles for social workers embedded in the 9-1-1 call center, adding additional staff to the mental health crisis team and changing procedures to divert mental health calls to the appropriate resources.
The Appropriate Response Initiative goes beyond mental health response and aims to meet the needs of 9-1-1 calls in a variety of circumstances. This includes the newly developed and launched Public Health Response that is responding to calls related to substance use to assist in referring people to resources using a harm reduction model. Public Health Response is currently active in several Ramsey County cities. Later in 2024 we will see the launch of community response that will have trained community members responding to 9-1-1 calls.
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Attachments
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