CITY COUNCIL: Resolution Authorizing City to Enter into Inter-Agency Agreement with Monterey County Health Department to form Monterey County Behavior Health Crisis Negotiation Team (BHCNT)

Meeting Date: April 5, 2011
Prepared by: Interim Chief Michael Calhoun

City Council
Agenda Item Summary

Name: Consideration of a Resolution authorizing the City of Carmel by-the-Sea to enter into an Inter-Agency Agreement with the Monterey County Health Department to form the Monterey County Behavioral Health Crisis Negotiation Team (BHCNT).

Description: The Carmel Police Department, along with Monterey County local and state law enforcement agencies, has a mutual interest in developing a partnership with the Behavioral Health Bureau of the Monterey County Health Department to form the Monterey County Behavioral Health Crisis Negotiating Team (BHCNT).

The team’s purpose is to make available mental health professionals to both trained negotiators and officers who encounter difficult hostage situations or mentally ill or emotionally disturbed persons. All police officers must be Crisis Intervention Trained (CIT). Through this agreement, mental health professionals will serve as a resource to the Monterey Peninsula Regional Response Unit (MPRSRU) to help bring safe resolutions to dynamic crisis situations. The team will be on call to
respond along with the MPRSRU in crisis intervention situations. Field officers also can contact them by phone when dealing with suicidal subjects with serious mental illness or other related mental disorders.

Overall Cost: There is no direct fiscal impact. Although difficult to quantify, participation in the BHCNT could reduce the City’s exposure to litigation arising from an encounter with an individual in crisis. This is based on the inclusion of a mental health professional(s) into law enforcement’s response to individuals in crisis.

Staff Recommendation: Adopt the Resolution. The City Attorney has reviewed the form and content of the contract.

Important Considerations: Through this agreement, mental health professionals will serve as a resource to the Monterey Peninsula Regional Response Unit (MPRSRU) to help bring safe resolutions to dynamic crisis situations.

Decision Record: Council approved the City’s participation in the Monterey Peninsula Special Response Unit (SRU) in November 2009. BHCNT is another component of the SRU.

Reviewed by:

______________________________ _________________
Heidi Burch, Asst. City Administrator Date

CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
RESOLUTION 2011-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO ENTER INTO AN INTER-AGENCY AGREEMENT WITH THE MONTEREY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO FORM THE MONTEREY COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS NEGOTIATION TEAM (BHCNT)

WHEREAS, law enforcement officers routinely respond to situations involving people in crisis; and many of those individuals suffer from mental illness or are emotionally disturbed, and some of those encounters have resulted in the use of deadly force; and

WHEREAS, in 1999 Monterey County began offering Crisis Intervention Training to law enforcement officers to better prepare officers to deal with crisis situations and reduce the potential for the use of deadly force; and

WHEREAS, the Monterey County Chiefs Law Enforcement Officers’ Association
(MCCLEOA) recognizes that some crisis situation would benefit from the presence of a mental health professional; and

WHEREAS, the Monterey County Health Department has agreed to make available on-call mental health professionals to assist law enforcement with such crisis situations, and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE SEA DOES:

1. Approve the Agreement with the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea and the cities of Marina, Seaside, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Sand City, Salinas, Soledad, King City, Greenfield; the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department; California State University at Monterey Bay; and, the Monterey County Health Department to form the Monterey County Behavioral Health Crisis Negotiation Team (BHCNT).

2. Authorize the Interim Police Chief to execute the Agreement and all related documents on behalf of the City subject to final review and approval by the City Attorney.

PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
on this 5th day of April, 2011 by the following roll call vote:

AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:

SIGNED:

_________________________
SUE McCLOUD, MAYOR

ATTEST:

____________________________
Heidi Burch, City Clerk