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VALLEJO, CA - The Vallejo Police Department (VPD) is pleased to announce a grant award for over $300,000 from the US Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). This grant will support developing and deploying a new Integrated Health and Resource Team (IHART) program. The program will establish a new mobile community crisis intervention team (CIT) that will address Vallejo's specific and urgent mental and behavioral health needs.
IHART mobile crisis response unit will operate 24 hours a day, 365-days a year. It will provide Vallejo residents with a specialized response team trained in trauma-informed response and mental and behavioral health support. The department expects improved outcomes by deploying a team of highly-trained individuals skilled in addressing social services-related calls, especially for those experiencing mental health- and social services-related crises. The team will also be equipped with information regarding medical and housing referrals, outpatient mental health services, substance abuse support, and much more to ensure that individuals can get connected with longer-term services to support their well-being.
Additionally, integrating this specialized unit will significantly reduce the need for VPD officers to respond to mental and behavioral health-related calls for service. Replacing police officers with crisis workers, social workers, and medical professionals with specialized training in addressing mental health and social crises will significantly reduce the potential for escalation and remove potential triggers for individuals who are struggling. Incorporating this program in the City's emergency response toolkit will also provide VPD with increased capacity to respond to Vallejo's most urgent and violent crimes.
Since 2018, VPD has seen a 37% increase in mental health-related calls, with officers responding to 100+ mental health-related calls monthly. The department is confident that IHART will divert nearly 70% of mental health-related calls to the CIT once established.
"The Vallejo Police Department recognizes the need for appropriate trauma-informed response and services when it comes to taking care of our residents experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis," said Police Chief Shawny Williams. "We are proud to work with our community partners to help reduce officer involvement for those in crisis who require unique and specialized care."
In the coming weeks, VPD will hold two public workshops to ensure IHART's policies, protocols, and priorities are community-led and informed. The workshops will be held on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, from 6 pm to 8 pm and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Vallejo Room, located at 505 Santa Clara Street, Vallejo, CA 94590.
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