BSO’s partnership with therapists helps in mental health crises

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. At the Broward Sheriff ’s Office (BSO), we understand mental health concerns are public safety concerns, and our first responders need to be prepared to respond effectively and safely to the mental health crises we see daily.

Responding to a call for service involving a person in crisis can be challenging. The key is de-escalation. In situations where moods can shift and actions can escalate quickly, the first few moments of contact are critical to calming individuals. The cornerstone of BSO preparation for these calls is our Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program. CIT provides specialized training to help identify and more effectively engage an individual living with a mental health issue or experiencing a mental health crisis.

Our CIT-trained employees are placed where they can have the most significant impact. For example, all our school resource deputies are CIT certified. In addition, our 911 communications operators undergo CIT training to identify which calls might require a specialized response. About 55% of BSO’s law enforcement deputies are CIT certified; my goal is to reach 100%.

BSO continues to explore new and effective ways to address mental health concerns that touch the community. As first responders, we recognize the need to diversify our response capabilities to include a more collaborative approach that best addresses the immediate needs of the situation. Recently, BSO launched a law enforcement Co-Responder Program, which pairs a CIT-trained deputy with a licensed mental health clinician to respond to crisis calls for service. The joint response provides immediate advantages. The deputy and clinician can accurately determine the needs of the individual and identify opportunities to connect them to necessary community resources. The Co-Responder Program is currently in the pilot phase. Based on its initial success in Deerfield Beach and then in Dania Beach, we have plans to expand the program to other BSO districts.

Another program focusing on mental health is our Behavioral Health Licensed Therapist (BHLT) program operating under BSO’s Threat Management Unit (TMU). BSO’s TMU focuses on investigating persons who threaten to commit acts of mass violence and stop those acts from occurring. The BHLT team is composed of veteran therapists who work alongside TMU detectives to investigate these threats. When a threat is made, one of our licensed therapists is paired with a CIT-trained detective to provide professional on-scene threat and needs assessments. The cooperative investigation affords the ability to assess individuals for mental illness and substance abuse issues and link them with appropriate community providers who can offer treatment. Currently, our BHLT program has assisted with nearly 1,400 cases. Of the individuals they have interacted with, 44% have accepted services.

In public safety, no call is the same. BSO’s diversified approach to handling crisis calls allows us to help individuals in their greatest time of need and connect them with valuable resources. BSO will continue to prioritize the safety of Broward County residents and visitors and identify opportunities to address mental health crises. May is Mental

Health Awareness Month, but the need for mental health crisis intervention is every day.

FILE About 55% of the deputies in the Broward Sheriff ’s Office have received crisis intervention training. The sheriff hopes to have that number reach 100%.