INDIANAPOLIS — The Clinician-Led Community Response Pilot Program was recently started. This new program aims to provide mental health support to those experiencing crises in the community to reduce unnecessary entanglement in the criminal justice system.
Clinicians are responding to 911 calls based on specific information the caller provides to the dispatcher. 911 dispatchers are trained to ask specific questions to determine if a clinician-led response team is only required to respond without law enforcement. Once determined, a clinician and peer support specialist will respond, assess the person having a mental health crisis and define the next steps. The CLCR team responds from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and will increase to a 24/7 response as the team continues to hire additional staff. The Mobile Crisis Assistance Team (MCAT) and IMPD can be called to assist the clinician-led team depending on the response. Clinicians are trained in de-escalation tactics, safety planning, crisis intervention, and providing access to available community resources and partners for those with a mental health crisis.
With a budget of $2 million approved by the City-County Council in October of 2022, the pilot program is the first of its kind for Indianapolis. This effort is a collaboration between the city, Mental Health Clinicians, and community partners. Stepping Stone Therapy Center, led by Joycelyn Yvette Wilson, with the support of the Phoenix Nicholas Center, Moving Forward LLC, and OPHS, is the key implementation partner responsible for hiring, training, and managing the response teams.