INDIANAPOLIS — On Monday, Mayor Joe Hogsett will kick off the first training for the City’s pilot Mobile Crisis Assessment Team (M-CAT). M-CAT is based on an integrated health care model, bringing together the professional expertise of police, paramedics, and crisis specialists for a 24/7 response to legal, behavioral health, substance use, and medical crises. This coordinated response is designed to improve treatment outcomes, assist individuals in making informed choices and returning to a healthy equilibrium, with the ultimate goal of diversion from arrest and connection with social services and treatment.
Following two months of training, the pilot of the Mobile Crisis Assessment Team will begin in August in IMPD East District. This area ranks high on the Social Disorder Index, with frequent mental and emotional 911 calls and ambulance runs for medical emergencies.
The Mobile Crisis Assessment Team will engage in on-scene intervention, employing one of the following strategies for resolution:
• De-escalate the situation and resolve on-scene
• If homeless and in need of mental health assessment or detox, transport to Reuben Engagement Center
• If acute behavioral health care is needed, transport to appropriate emergency department or crisis assessment center considering medical history and continuity of care
• If acute behavioral health and legal response are necessary, transport to Eskenazi Hospital for psychiatric evaluation and treatment, followed by the Arrestee Processing Center where mental health intervention will continue.