Read Full Article | View Source
Due to the mental health crisis, the number of calls to the Bakersfield Police Department dispatch center was the highest. Currently, the city wants to have an expert in charge of these calls before the police have to respond.
On Wednesday, Bakersfield City Council will vote to place a behavioral medical clinician at the city’s Law Enforcement Communications Center to handle non-urgent mental health calls. According to the Kern County Behavioral Health Recovery Service provided to clinicians, this arrangement is one of the first in the country.
A unique partnership is an attempt to reduce law enforcement contact with individuals who are better served by mental health professionals. If someone calls in a mental health crisis that does not require immediate police response, the coordinator forwards the call to the clinician, who assesses what services are needed…
