Chicago Votes in Favor of Removing Police From Mental Health Crisis Response

[Jilly_in_VA]

In Chicago, the Treatment Not Trauma campaign won overwhelming community support for a non-binding referendum calling for investment in public mental health centers and a non-police crisis response system. Authored by 33rd Ward Alderperson Rossana Rodriguez and envisioned by a coalition of community groups and stakeholders, the ordinance calls for developing a Chicago Crisis Response and Care System within the Chicago Department of Public Health.

On November 8, residents in three wards said “yes” to the Treatment Not Trauma campaign, for an overwhelming win. The 6th, 20th and 33rd wards received 98 percent, 96 percent and 93 percent “yes” votes, respectively. The Treatment Not Trauma campaign — which includes the Collaborative for Community Wellness, Southside Together Organizing for Power, 33rd Working Families, DefundCPD, and most crucial of all, individual community members — sustained the effort through thousands of calls, conversations and doorknocks from mental health professionals, community organizers and residents.

The referendum results combat the idea that Black and Brown residents of Chicago are opposed to mental health investment and divestment from policing.

And Chicago isn’t the only city where organizers are fighting for non-police mental health responses and mental health care systems. In Ann Arbor, Michigan, the city council voted in April 2021 to invest $3.5 million in federal stimulus funding into a non-police mental health crisis response system. On November 4, the city officially closed its community engagement survey, which asked for input from residents in an effort toward community accountability.

Ann Arbor will hopefully create a system similar to models like CAHOOTS in Eugene, Oregon, the Street Crisis Response Team in San Francisco, MH First in Oakland, and B-HEARD in New York City. These cities use a non-police crisis response model and send a person trained in medical support to help people experiencing mental health crises, reducing the frequency of criminalization and harm. This role could be filled by an emergency medical technician (EMT), a social worker or a community member trained in deescalation. These programs have successfully treated mental health crises as a public health issue, not a public safety issue.

https://truthout.org/articles/chicago-votes-in-favor-of-removing-police-from-mental-health-crisis-response/

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[republianmushroom]

2. LIKE

[lark]

3. Yay!!

This is so needed, police kill these people at a much greater rate than normal because they don't understand. A cube mate saw police kill a homeless, deaf, elderly black lady obviously deep in crisis because she couldn't talk and it escalated from there. So she got agitated when the cops formed a circle around her and started peppering her with ??, started making loud noises, pushed one trying to get away and they shot and killed her. Now this was 36 years ago, and I didn't see it, but I have been so motivated to push for changing this response from police to mental health workers. So glad it's finally coming true, being at least tried somewhere. Hopefully this works and spreads!!