Sponsor: Social Services
Title
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Amended Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Maplewood for Co-responder Pilot Program
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Recommendation
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1. Approve the Amended Joint Powers Agreement with the city of Maplewood to govern data sharing in the operation and evaluation of the Co-Responder Pilot Program, to be effective on date of final execution through May 3, 2027.
2. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the Amended Joint Powers Agreement.
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Background and Rationale
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In the fall of 2018, the Maplewood Public Safety Department created a Mental Health Outreach Team (MHOT). The purpose of this team is to provide a proactive approach committed to assisting residents in crisis while helping individuals and their families navigate the healthcare system. Ramsey County Social Services and MHOT proposed a pilot program that embedded a Mental Health Professional or Mental Health Practitioner classification within MHOT. Due to the success of the program and community need, another embedded social worker was recently added. One Full- Time Equivalent (FTE) position in the Mental Health Professional or Mental Health Practitioner classification is paid for by Ramsey County and the other by the city of Maplewood. This will not increase the personal complement in Social Services department. Social Services was able to use a current the position within the complement. Currently, the embedded workers provide short-term case management to help with stabilization and connect residents in need of mental health support with specialty services. In 2021, the Maplewood Police Department responded to 1,167 emergency calls where mental health was the primary issue. Officers responded to 502 calls for a person in crisis and 39 calls for suicides in progress.
MHOT was created based on data analysis that revealed the high number of mental health-related incidents the Maplewood police and fire departments respond to annually. In Ramsey County, Maplewood receives the second largest number of calls to police for mental health responses after Saint Paul. Nearly 700 incidents annually have a primary mental health component, and over 2,000 other calls have a high likelihood of a mental health component. Some residents’ mental health issues result in multiple police interventions. In 2019, 16 individuals with mental health issues were involved in 150 Police Department contacts. MHOT includes five representatives from the Police Department and three representatives from the Fire Department. They have established program objectives, inclusion criteria, administrative/legal procedures, potential partnerships, referral and reporting mechanisms and training opportunities. The goals of the pilot program are:
• Reduce the amount of public safety resources needed to mitigate mental health and crisis-related incidents.
• Reduce the use of force and the number of adverse events.
The city of Maplewood and Ramsey County staff need to continue to share data to support individual and community health and wellness. The program exceeded initial expectations and further benefits are being assessed. Data sharing is governed by the Joint Powers Agreement between the two government entities.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☐ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Racially and ethnically diverse communities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Improving police responses to people with mental illness and creating opportunities for community-based treatment, including culturally specific options, will reduce the number of racially and ethnically diverse residents who are incarcerated when mental health treatment would be the appropriate response. The Ramsey County Crisis and Stabilization Units are committed to supporting the mental health wellness of residents through services and referrals for longer-term care.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The co-responder model was created in response to the community' s request for increased mental health services and reduced negative consequences, specifically, fewer arrests during crises and fewer 911 calls for mental health- related interventions. The project enables a Ramsey County mental health worker, in collaboration with the Maplewood police and fire departments, to engage residents. Specific community participation activities include educating the community about the co- responder model through targeted community engagement activities, conducting focused conversations and listening sessions with community members most impacted by the co- responder model, and developing recommendations for shaping community-defined mental health services and indicators of wellbeing. The Co-responder Program should result in an increased level of trust of police and county systems and a sense of wellness in the community.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
No impact to the current operating budget as the Adult Mental Health Initiative grant fully funds a FTE (Mental Health Practitioner) and the second FTE worker will be fully funded by the city of Maplewood. The fiscal impact to Ramsey County for one FTE will not exceed $125,000 annually.
County Manager Comments
No additional comments.
Last Previous Action
On February 2, 2021, the Ramsey County Board approve the Joint Powers Agreement between Ramsey County and the city of Maplewood to govern sharing data in the operation and evaluation of the Co-responder Pilot Program (Resolution B2021-029).
Attachments
1. Amended Joint Powers Agreement with the City of Maplewood