Here in Denver, you're now seeing STARs vans everywhere - "Support Team Assisted Response." It's a medic and a social worker, both trained in mental health and addiction support, showing up instead of police. They offer support to homeless folks, people in crisis, and folks in altered states.
Not going to lie, when I see STARS vans I get a little worried that there is an Umbrella facility around.
This seems AMAZING! Do you know if 911 calls are sometimes referred to STAR, or do those all go to police dispatch?
It's just an incredible program, and one I will gleefully pay for I still love how the pilot for it years ago went so well they quadrupled the budget and immediately fully implemented it at the end.
Thanks for the info! This sounds similar to a program we have here in Portland Oregon called Portland Street Response: www.portland.gov/fire/streetr...
Portland Street Response, a program within Portland Fire & Rescue, assists people experiencing mental health and behavioral health crises. The program is currently responding citywide and you can requ...
So glad you're having a good experience with the program! I would like to add for people who feel this method is interested and experimental, it was pioneered by the CAHOOTS program of Eugene, Oregon since 1989. We have lots of data that it works.
They've handled almost 8000 calls since they started four years ago. Half of those have resulted in referrals to services so folks can get the help they need and deserve. A third have straight up given free rides to places like shelters and food banks. 12% have gotten people medical assistance.
This is great but you should have picked a different acronym, this dude is only smart for a Tyrant, and will NOT be able to tell the difference between you and the guys he actually wants.
that program is such a massive success I hope it's adopted across Colorado
So do the support staff also teach cops that DEAF PEOPLE CAN'T HEAR THEIR COMMANDS? Because that's appparently a thing they need to be trained on.
I am not surprised that they have not needed to bring in police in four years while on a call. It’s amazing how much you can stop a situation from escalating when you are good at deescalation, are not armed and try to bully your way through every situation.