WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - The City of Worcester is launching a new program that utilizes mental health professionals in crisis situations as a new way to respond to emergencies.
The city is partnering with UMass Memorial Health’s Community Healthlink program to launch the Mental Health Community Mobile Crisis Response Pilot Program.
“This is an absolutely exciting moment for us as a city,” said Eric Batista, city manager. “Having clinicians available for phone calls, to be able to respond, be on site, or even have conversations with the individuals, try to diffuse and provide the services they need is a win, win for everybody.”
The type of response varies case by case, and dispatchers will determine if just mental health clinicians are needed or if other public safety officials should respond as well.
“We want to make sure that the area or the situation, it’s not going to be any more harmful to any clinician coming in,” Batista said. “We want to make sure that everyone is safe, so depending on the situation, police will respond and make sure the scene is safe.”
Batista said that counselors are key in helping deescalate situations.
“Clinicians play a big role, as being a counselor is understanding and knowing how to ask the right questions, talking to the individual,” the city manager said.
The pilot program has a limited number of clinicians responding in only some areas, but the city is booking to expand the program in the future.
“We hope in the next few months to continue to evaluate the progress of the program and how well it does and what areas we can expand and what areas we need to improve,” Batista said.
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