The Community Response Team, also known as CRT or the Orlando Model, is a city of Orlando pilot program which is led by the Orlando Police Department in partnership with Aspire Health Partners in Central Florida.
About the Orlando Model
CRT’s goal is to provide a new line of first responders – more specifically, behavioral health experts − to respond to non-violent calls where someone is experiencing a mental and/or behavioral crisis. CRT members are sent to non-violent mental health calls where they focus on key principles such as de-escalation, helping the distressed individual feel less threatened, and connecting those who need treatment and support.
How it Works
A licensed clinician and a case manager make up the CRT. Both members are employed by Aspire Health Partners, and calls are still handled and vetted by trained 911 operators.
Based on non-emergency call data, the CRTs are active from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. between Wednesday and Friday, and between 2 and 10 pm from Saturday to Tuesday. If CRT is not available at the time that a call comes in, police officers respond as usual.
This also includes staff from the OPD Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) who are a part of the police department. Officers that respond to calls are also given the ability to write referrals for mental health, as well as support services that the CRT can review for follow-up.
According to the City of Orlando's Community Response Team, "if an incoming call requires immediate response to a mental health crisis, and does not indicate risk to the team" (i.e. a call to a non-violent mental health crisis), the CRT will respond if they are available.
CRT staff members work hand-in-hand with the Orlando Police Department and respond to qualified calls in marked vehicles and clothing. Once they have had the opportunity to assess the situation, CRT staff then determine which services are appropriate.
The CRT will then provide a means of access so that the person in a crisis can receive the necessary help. The CRT is also allowed to follow up on calls as needed.
Benefits to the pilot
The CRT boasts benefits such as reduced referrals to the criminal justice system and hospital emergency rooms. Another benefit includes increased Orlando Police Department efficiency because the CRT provides officers the flexibility to respond where citizens need and want them, specifically on law enforcement and community-oriented policing.
While there are safety concerns (which the leaders of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office have stated is the main reason they chose the model that pairs clinicians with deputies), many examples exist in which clinicians and social workers participate in the process. For example, there is one program known as Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS) in Eugene, Oregon − a city that also boasts a model adaptive recreation program − which has worked for the last three decades and is funded by the Eugene Police Department.
While the Orlando Model is currently viewed as a pilot, advocates continue to look to programs such as CRT for successful implementation that can be used as a model in other communities. G
Comments