Abilene Police Department: Partnership with Pew Trust to implement a Community Response Team for those experiencing a mental health crisis.
The Abilene Police Department’s Community Response Team was recently highlighted for its innovations in diverting individuals experiencing mental health issues. Modeled after Dallas County’s program, Abilene’s Community Response Team is a collaboration of the Abilene Police Department, Abilene Fire Department, and the Local Mental Health Authority, the Betty Hardwick Center. With this model, the team has formed connections with community members and has successfully diverted possible hospitalizations or arrests of clients.
Abilene’s team exemplifies Pew Charitable Trust’s national effort to encourage collaborative efforts in communities, changing how law enforcement addresses mental health crises. Pew is working in Texas to research state policies and develop recommendations for other communities looking to create community response teams (Pew, 2023).
Additional Resources
PEW Trust Magazine Article: “When People Face a Mental Health Crisis, What’s the Best Response?”