Police Treat More Of San Francisco’s Mental Health Crises
A hostage negotiation team says it is better equipped to handle people dealing with acute mental health problems in emergencies instead of resorting to using lethal force. Elsewhere, Sonoma County officials seek to lower the number of people jailed who have a mental illness.
San Francisco Chronicle:
SF Police See Progress In Dealing With People In Mental Crisis
The San Francisco police hostage crisis negotiation team responded to more calls in 2016 than in any year in recent history, an uptick that officials see as a sign that the department is moving in the right direction in dealing with people suffering from mental health crises. (Ho, 1/2)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Sonoma County Joins Effort To Shift Care Of Mentally Ill Away From Jails
Sonoma County officials seeking to find ways to reduce the number of people jailed with mental illness have joined a national campaign that will highlight the issue, as well as the cost to taxpayers and communities, in a two-day summit later this month in Sacramento. The campaign, featuring local leaders from more than 300 counties across the nation, is billed as a new bid to close gaps in health care and criminal justice that advocates say harm those with mental illness. (Espinoza, 12/31)