The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday, Oct. 19, to barter an settlement for county psychological well being groups to answer crises aboard Metro trains and buses.
Supervisor Janice Hahn really helpful letting the county’s Division of Psychological Well being work to strike a take care of Metro.
“Anybody who has taken Metro is aware of there’s a want for psychological well being professionals on our transit system,” Hahn stated. “Our county psychological well being professionals are skilled to deal with tough conditions and join individuals with the long-term therapy and help they want.”
Hahn, who additionally sits on the Metro board, co-authored a movement final yr with fellow board member and Los Angeles Metropolis Councilman Mike Bonin to rethink public security on the transit system and set up a Public Security Advisory Committee.
Hahn stated Metro staffers reached out to DMH upfront of suggestions by that committee to speak about negotiating an settlement.
The Board of Supervisors’ vote additionally provides DMH the authority to enter right into a contract if an settlement is reached.
Supervisor Hilda Solis co-authored the movement.
“This potential partnership between our Division of Psychological Well being and Metro is essential to re-imagining how we are able to help and help residents who expertise psychological well being crises on buses and rail automobiles all through Metro’s transit community,” Solis stated.
DMH at the moment runs two forms of disaster groups. One is a Psychological Analysis Workforce, or MET, that pairs a specifically skilled legislation enforcement officer with a licensed psychological well being clinician to answer the highest-risk conditions. The objective is to divert people fighting psychological sickness to therapy and reduce the usage of power and involvement within the legal justice system.
The opposite sort of staff is an unarmed Psychiatric Cell Response Workforce (PMRT) made up of at the least one licensed psychological well being clinician and one different psychological well being skilled. Not one of the PMRT teammates are members of legislation enforcement.
The county is working to broaden the variety of PMRT groups out there and supply protection across the clock. Groups are anticipated to be accessible by way of a brand new nationwide psychological well being disaster hotline, 988, subsequent summer time.
