3:57 PM | Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Brooklyn Center is considering joining a Hennepin County program providing mental health services during police calls.

Through the program, paramedics and social workers respond to mental health calls and other non-violent emergency situations. 

Called the Alternative Responses Team, these social workers can respond to a scene with police officers, or can respond to a call independently.

Brooklyn Park and Hennepin County launched a program piloting the concept in March. The partnership was the first-of-its-kind in Minnesota. 

The unit would respond to low-risk 911 calls like disturbances, intoxication, drug overdoses and welfare checks. 

Through the program, the social workers would be employed by Hennepin County, but Brooklyn Center would pay their wages. 

Brooklyn Center is considering joining a Hennepin County program providing mental health services during police calls.

Mental Health Team Housed Out of Police Department

The cost for the program in the first year would be approximately $72,000, according to LaToya Turk, Brooklyn Center’s director of community prevention, health and safety.

While social workers would be housed out of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, they would be overseen by the city’s department of community prevention, health and safety. 

“They would be responding to calls using the police radio,” Turk said. “There needs to be some sense of collaboration and teamwork built with those groups. And so having them completely separate doesn’t allow for the relationship building.”

Reggie Edwards, Brooklyn Center city manager, said one goal of the program is to alleviate staffing burdens for the police department.

“In the context of being short-staffed and having a lot to do, we don’t want to add to the supervision of police officers,” Edwards said. “We don’t want to add to the load. So we’re not trying to add on more work when we already have very challenged staff as far as workload is concerned.”

Brooklyn Center City Council Member Dan Jerzak said he supports the program. However, he questioned why the police wouldn’t oversee the program. 

“Is the police department on board with this and what you’re proposing?” Jerzak asked.

“I’ve been meeting with the police department probably for the past six months on this,” Turk responded. “We’ve talked about it extensively. And I have not gotten any opposition on where the Alternative Response Team is housed.”

While social workers in the Alternative Response Team would be housed out of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, they would be overseen by the city’s department of community prevention, health and safety.

Hours of Operation for Brooklyn Center Mental Health Team

Hennepin County has proposed to operate the unit from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Mondays to Fridays. 

According to Turk, police data shows the strongest demand for the unit later in the week and during evening hours. 

She said the city is in ongoing discussions related to issues like hours of operation. 

“I think to be productive and create the unit we’ll have to start out at the same time,” Turk said. 

Previous Mental Health Response Planning

Brooklyn Center began considering its police response model in the wake of the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright.

The Brooklyn Center City Council passed a resolution in May 2021 to have unarmed civilians and mental health professionals respond to non-moving traffic violations and mental health-related calls-for-service.

Turk said that the city has considered contracting with other alternative-response providers.

“There was a huge gap in the financial responsibility for the city, as well as state and federal requirements for mental health response teams,” Turk said.

Edwards added that a single mental health response team is unlikely to address the full needs of the city. 

“There may be an opportunity to pilot another model at the same time so we can actually see results of both,” Edwards said. 

See also: Daunte Wright Memorial to Cost Brooklyn Center Nearly $250k

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Judge Matthew D’Emic beams with pride in his chambers, holding the Lifetime Achievement Award he earned for his transformative work at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice. Photo courtesy of the Center for Justice Innovation.

A beacon in the realm of mental health and criminal justice, Brooklyn Mental Health Court Justice Matthew D’Emic, has been presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative. 

The award pays tribute to his tireless work over the past two decades to improve outcomes for people grappling with behavioral health issues who are involved with the criminal justice system.

“It was a very pleasant surprise,” said Justice D’Emic, who serves as the administrative judge of the Kings County Supreme Court, Criminal Term. “And I’m happy to see that mental illness in criminal justice is in the forefront of this recognition.”

The Brooklyn Mental Health Court, under the guidance of Judge D’Emic, has been pivotal in keeping individuals suffering from severe mental illnesses out of jail and in treatment for over 20 years. As the first of its kind in New York State, the program’s success has ignited the development of special court programs for people with mental illness nationwide.

Judge D’Emic has been a fixture in the court since its establishment in 2002, spearheading the innovative approach of offering individuals with mental illnesses an alternative to jail by committing to treatment. Under his watch, more than 1,300 people have graduated from the program to date.

The judge illustrated the work of the court with compelling stories of the lives it has transformed, such as a college student diagnosed with schizophrenia after his arrest for robbery. The student successfully completed the court’s treatment program, avoided a lengthy prison sentence, and is now pursuing a master’s degree in graphic design, having stayed out of trouble for two decades.

Similarly, a middle-aged woman, also diagnosed with schizophrenia and facing a potential life sentence, managed to turn her life around through the court’s program. She landed an internship at a bakery while enrolled in the court and transitioned into a full-time baker upon graduating.

“These are not isolated stories,” Judge D’Emic noted. “There are countless others, and each of the participants has affected my life.”

The mental health court is a stark contrast to traditional prosecution, where those with mental health issues would most likely face jail time, exacerbating their mental health struggles. Thanks to the efforts of Judge D’Emic and his team, many instead are living fulfilling lives in their communities, fostering a positive impact on themselves and those around them.

Whippoorwill Appearance At The Wicked Monk

In order to protect his own mental health, Justice D’Emic regularly plays in the classic rock cover band Whippoorwill in and around Brooklyn. On Sunday, June 11, starting at 5 p.m., the judge will perform alongside bandmates John Lepore and Paul Cassone at the Wicked Monk in Bay Ridge.

Members of Whippoorwill from left: Hon. Matt D’Emic, John Lepore, and Paul Cassone at the Wicked Monk in 2018. Eagle file photo by Robert Abruzzese.

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