In July 2021, four months after assuming leadership of the Frederick (Maryland) Police Department (FPD), Chief Jason Lando decided on a new approach to the increasing mental health and substance abuse calls his department was facing. From personal experience, Lando knew that people in emotional crisis frequently require a more comprehensive response than the police can provide. While police officers are trained to respond to people who are suicidal, suffering from mental illnesses, living with developmental disorders, or struggling with addiction, their training does not replace the level of response that could be afforded by mental health and medical professionals working together with the police.

His idea was to create a team to respond to people in crisis. Said Chief Lando, “On some calls, a mental health provider is best suited to deal with the problem. On other calls, such as those involving an overdose, an [emergency medical technician (EMT)] or paramedic is the most appropriate provider. And sometimes, the individual in question may be violent or have a warrant for their arrest. Those calls require a police officer.”

A Law Enforcement, Medical, and Mental Health Collaboration

In search of a comprehensive method of response, Chief Lando met with Tom Coe, Chief of the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Service, and Scott Rose, Chief of Rehabilitation and Recovery Services of Sheppard Pratt, a local provider of mental health and substance abuse services, to develop a comprehensive program that could address all possible contingencies when these calls come in. Together, they set up a multidisciplinary team comprising of a plainclothes FPD officer, an EMT or paramedic, and a mental health specialist who could respond quickly to any type of behavioral health call in an unmarked vehicle dubbed the Crisis Car.

The team, whose members rotate daily, monitors fire, rescue, and police radio dispatch calls, responding to incidents that range from threats of suicide to overdose incidents to reports of strange behavior. They also respond to officers who call them out directly. Though the car is a City of Frederick initiative and only self-dispatches to calls within the city’s boundaries, it will also assist the Frederick County Sheriff's Office if they request it.

In response to the program’s success in resolving situations and the community’s positive reaction, the car—which started responding in July 2021 with four hours of service Monday through Friday—is now on the street eight hours per day. And the ultimate goal is to expand it to seven days a week, including evening hours.

Co-Responders Work Seamlessly to Address a Variety of Situations

Asked how the teams work together, Lieutenant John Corbett, who led the implementation and continues to oversee the program, said, “When we get a call, the mental health expert and paramedic are thinking about the resources they can offer. At the same time, the police officer is asking about the call history at this address, if there have been any violent calls for service, etc., focusing on safety. If we’re dealing with somebody who is not in our department’s data base, the firefighter may say, ‘Wow, we are out with this person all the time,’ and provide context the rest of us don’t have. And if I am bringing in somebody who is a threat to themself or others, the mental health professional can provide language and evaluations that I can use in my report to make it a stronger application for emergency psychiatric evaluation.”

Describing how the team works on site, Willa Naegele, Program Director of Crisis Services for Frederick County, Maryland, and a Crisis Car team member, recounted an incident in which a man was standing on a bridge, threatening to kill himself. “He was despairing because of a relationship that ended. We were able to give him hope and perspective, and he came down and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. A mental health member of the team followed up with a call after he was released, and he thanked us for being there. In another incident, a mental health provider asked us to visit a patient she was meeting with virtually, whom she believed was suicidal and had a gun. The officer determined that the individual did not have a weapon and that our team’s mental health professional could safely assess the individual, who she decided did not need intervention. There have also been a few cases where medical help was needed. One was response to a woman who was homeless and a community concern, whom our EMT treated.”

Training is critical to successfully handling these types of calls. According to Lt. Corbett, all FPD officers receive ongoing training from the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (MPCTC) in working with people who have mental health, substance abuse, and disability needs. The officers initially assigned to the program received refresher training from the Mental Health Association of Frederick County, whose staff also provide entry-level training to the FPD’s academy and in-service trainings to veteran officers. A suite of trainings is being developed for future delivery once FPD is able to assign additional officers to the program full time.

As for the impact on public safety, Lt. Corbett said, “It’s too early to measure; we don’t have enough data yet. But, there have been no use of force incidents related to this team, which is important—and we include empty hand control and any involuntary moving of a person as a use of force.”

Enthusiastic Support from the Community and Officers

“So far, the biggest benefit – aside from successful outcomes for the individuals we’ve helped and a reduction in repeat calls – is the reaction of the community,” said Lt. Corbett. “We’ve gotten a tremendous amount of positive feedback through Facebook posts as well as personal interactions. Our officers are very enthusiastic, too, and a lot of them are asking to be part of the mobile crisis car team. Another benefit is the department’s relationship with Sheppard Pratt. They’ve been great partners, even coming to roll call to talk about their participation in the program. And since they are countywide, they can provide follow-up on our calls with mental health services in areas outside the department’s jurisdiction. Another great part of this program is the relationships we’ve developed with the service providers. Officers have personal connections with the mental health consultants and paramedics and feel comfortable working together.”

Willa Naegele agrees. “The greatest benefit from my perspective is the relationships we built with police. Even if you’re out in the field without the crisis car, they are helpful. I think the officers have benefitted too, from the mental health experience and education.”

Asked how he would advise other agencies considering a similar program, Chief Lando strongly recommends doing so, as does Lt. Corbett. “Everybody involved in [the Crisis Car team] says it’s a great program,” Chief Lando said. “We’re not only helping to solve the problems of mental illness and drug abuse but are able to better manage our resources too. So many calls have a mental health or substance abuse component. Programs that increase our resources take the pressure off us. The public thinks we are going to handle everything, but police alone aren’t the appropriate response for every problem. The unanimous opinion of the program around here is that it is something we should have done it sooner.”

Faye C. Elkins
Sr. Technical Writer
COPS Office

Photos courtesy of Frederick (Maryland) Police Department.

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