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Over 3,000.
This is the number of times the City of Greensboro’s Behavioral Health Response Team (BHRT) responded to requests for service from residents facing a mental health crisis in 2023. He’s a big increase from 2022, when the team answered more than 1,200 calls for him.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and to celebrate, the team is gearing up for events later this month. People will be invited to visit BHRT members at their businesses, residences or the City of Greensboro on May 29 to get a “deeper understanding” of the team’s “purpose, goals and processes,” according to a city press release. You can request to visit any location within. If you are interested, please text him to (336) 430-4121 by 5pm on May 23rd to schedule a visit.
BHRT falls under the jurisdiction of the city’s Department of Community Safety.In an interview with TCBLatisha McNeil, director of the firm, explained that the team is highly utilized.
“It has far exceeded our expectations. The need exceeds our capacity,” she said.
BHRT is a joint response team. This means that Greensboro Police Department officers are partnered with a team of qualified clinicians and crisis counselors. A non-police response team in Winston-Salem called the BEAR Team responds to non-violent mental health calls.
During October, TCBS When I spoke with GPD Chief of Police John Thompson, he said he would like to “expand” BHRT to include “a non-police response to mental health calls.” However, this has not been implemented yet.
The mental health department’s team currently consists of eight team members, according to the city’s website.
People with mental health conditions are disproportionately criminalized across the United States compared to people without a history of mental illness. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, mental illness affects 18 percent of the general population. However, an estimated 44 percent of incarcerated people and 37 percent of incarcerated people have a mental illness. Teams like BHRT and BEAR can divert people from the criminal justice system and put them on a path to treatment rather than punishment.
It’s budget season, and depending on how all the money is allocated, the team could expand. Mr McNeil is already seeking further funding to support additional staff.
“We are hopeful that some positions will be available to increase headcount,” she added.
The City’s recommendations for how people in crisis can access BHRT services are as follows:
1. In case of emergency, call 911 to request BHRT dispatch.
2. Ask a Greensboro Police Officer to refer you to BHRT.
3. Visit GPD Police Headquarters at 100 Police Plaza and ask to speak with a BHRT counselor.
