Res No 121-20-15561RESOLUTION NO.121.-20-15561
A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commissioners of the City of South Miami
requesting Miami -Dade County Fire Rescue funding of part-time licensed clinical
social workers and funding of mental health training for Miami -Dade Fire Rescue
Department paramedics so that they can be dispatched on mental health 9-1-1 calls
and fund a mental health database that will automatically alert 9-1-1 operators, the
responding EMS team, and the police, of the place of residence of the person with
mental health issues.
WHEREAS, nationally, 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems are strained
by serving large and increasing volumes of callers who disproportionally need 9-1-1 EMS
resources, for reasons mainly related to substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness, and some
combination thereof; and
WHEREAS, Miami -Dade County is home to the largest percentage of people with
serious mental illnesses of any urban community in the United States2; and
WHEREAS, from time to time there have been instances where police have been
dispatched to the scene of a mental health crisis and the situation ended badly for the person
experiencing the crisis; and
WHEREAS, in 1988, a program known as Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) or the
"Memphis Model" was developed as a first -responder model of police -based crisis intervention
training to help persons with mental disorders and/or addictions access medical treatment rather
than place them in the criminal justice system due to illness -related behaviors; and
WHEREAS, Miami -Dade County has implemented the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)
model since 2000. In the period from 2010 to 2017, there were a total of 83,427 CIT calls of
which: 38,838 cases received assistance in accessing treatment; 15,894 cases were diverted from
the county jail; and only 149 arrests were made4; and
WHEREAS, a study published in Psychiatric Services in 2016 determined that CIT
training alone does not reduce trauma, unnecessary hospitalizations, and detentions and that a
number of other elements beyond police training are needed in order to avoid police involvement
when it really is not neededs; and
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Pagel of 3
Res. No. 121-20-15561
WHEREAS, law enforcement officers often express reservations regarding the lack of
training and resources devoted to the engagement and treatment of people with mental illness
and addictive disorders6; and
WHEREAS, many of the problems associated with police involvement in behavioral
health crises can be avoided by creating alternatives, such as a co -responder model; and
WHEREAS, in the co -responder model, trained police officers work together with
behavioral health workers to respond to crisis calls and ensure that appropriate services and
resources are provided The goals of the co -responder model are to deescalate the crisis, prevent
injuries, provide appropriate services, and reduce the number of arrests. An initial assessment
conducted with a trained behavioral health worker at the scene can prevent unnecessary arrest or
hospitalization; and
WHEREAS, cases of non -behavioral medical emergencies, such as heart attacks, strokes
and non -vehicular accidents are often handled by the 9-1-1 system but rather than dispatching a
police officer, an ambulance is sent; and
WHEREAS, similarly, mental health crises could be treated using specialized mental
health personnel, such as licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) trained in mental health
instead of only using law enforcement officers; and
WHEREAS, a pilot program at the George Washington School of Medicine in 2013
sought to decrease the amount of inpatient psychiatric treatment by dispatching "mobile crisis
units" staged with a paramedic and a licensed social worker to co -respond to 9-1-1 calls triaged
as mental health treatment calls. The program was found to be successful$; and
WHEREAS, 9-1-1 operators are capable of learning from the caller if there is a person
experiencing a mental health crisis and, if resources such as paramedics trained in mental health
and specialized mental health personnel are available, the crisis can be dealt in way that benefits
all parties.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The foregoing recitals are hereby ratified and confirmed as being true and they
are incorporated into this resolution by reference as if set forth in full herein.
Section 2. The Mayor and City Commission of the City of South Miami calls on Miami -
Dade County Fire Rescue Department to
(a) fund mental health training for at least one paramedic per shift per Fire Rescue
station so that if 9-1-1 advises the Miami -Dade Fire Rescue Department that a person is
6 htWs:I- _3 mhanational ore/icy/position-statemgn - 9-res ondi g.-behavioral-health-crises
7 Ibid.
81bid.
Page 2 of 3
Res. No. 121-20-15561
having a mental health crisis that employee trained to handle mental health crises can be
dispatched to the call and the Police Department will then act as a back-up to the
Emergency Medical Services (EMS); and
(b) fund the part-time hiring of licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) trained in
mental health who can be dispatched to the scene of a mental health crisis to assist the
EMT's in dealing with the crisis; and
(c) fund a mental health database that will automatically alert 9-1-1 operators who are
dispatching police to an address that a person with mental health issues has been
registered as a person residing at that address.
Section 3. Instructions to the City Clerk. The City Clerk is instructed to forward a
copy of this resolution to:
All municipalities in Miami -Dade County;
Miami -Dade County League of Cities;
All members of the Miami -Dade County Board of County Commissioners;
Miami -Dade County Manager; and
Miami -Dade County Mayor
Section 4. Corrections. Conforming language or technical scrivener -type corrections
may be made by the City Attorney for any conforming amendments to be incorporated into the
final resolution for signature.
Section 5. Severability. If any section clause, sentence, or phrase of this resolution is for
any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the holding shall
not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution.
Section 6. Effective Date. This resolution shall become effective immediately upon
adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 15°i day of September. 2020.
ATTEST: APPRO`,/ D:
CIT CLE MAYOR
READ AND APPROVED AS TO FORM,
LANGUAGE, LEGALITY AND
EXECUTION THEREOF,
Ci fY ATTORNEY
COMMISSION VOTE: 4-1
Mayor Philips:
Nay
Vice Mayor Welsh:
Yea
Commissioner Harris:
Yea
Commissioner Liebman:
Yea
Commissioner Gil:
Yea
Page 3 of 3
Agenda Rem No:Bb.
City Commission Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: September 15, 2020
Submitted by: Thomas Pepe
Submitting Department: City Attorney
Rem Type: Resolution
Agenda Section:
Subject:
A Resolution of the Mayor and City Commissioners of the City of South Miami requesting County funding of
part-time licensed clinical social workers and funding of mental health training for Miami -Dade Fire Rescue
Department paramedics so that they can be dispatched on mental health 9-1-1 calls and fund a mental health
database that will automatically alert 9-1-1 operators, the responding EMS team, and the police, of the place of
residence of the person with mental health issues. 3/5 (Vice Mayor Welsh)
Suggested Action:
Attachments:
Reso re Mental Health Training for MDFD paramedics.doc