Mental Health Division - Houston · 2015. 7. 27. · Ashley Mullins, Case Manager Deirdre...

Mental Health Division2014 Annual Report

Mental Health Division:A Model of Community Policing

Our MissionTo provide a professional, humane, and safe response

to individuals with behavioral health problems

and to the homeless.

Our PurposeTo develop and oversee the department's multifaceted

strategies for responding to individuals with behavioral

health problems and the homeless, and to provide

guidance in the areas of policy and procedures.

Our Community PartnersMental Health Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County

Mental Health America of Greater HoustonHarris County District Attorney's Office

Harris County Sheriff's OfficeNational Alliance on Mental Illness

Ben Taub General HospitalOne Voice Texas

Charles A. McClelland, Jr.Chief of Police

Michael A. DirdenExecutive Assistant Chief

Mental Health Division Management(left to right) Sergeant Roger Espinoza, Investigations; Sergeant Joseph Ramirez,Crisis Intervention Response Team; Lieutenant Patrick Plourde; Captain WendyBaimbridge; Sergeant Steve Wick, Homeless Outreach Team; Sergeant Rodney Hill,Crisis Intervention Response Team; Sergeant Julio Silva, Crisis Intervention ResponseTeam. (Not pictured Sergeant Ramon Perez, Training and Administrative Units.)

Contents

Section 1: Homeless Outreach

Section 2: Training

Section 3: Investigations

Section 4: CIRT

Section 5: Statistics

Section 6: Awards

Contents

GrowthCollaborationInnovation

Section 7: Work Ahead

Responding to individuals in serious mentalhealth crises continues to be a complex andchallenging issue facing law enforcement today.These issues are complex because we areinteracting with individuals with severebehavioral health problems and challengingbecause of a lack of mental health resources.

The Houston Police Department, collaboratingwith community mental health professionalsand advocates, is allocating unprecedentedmanpower and resources to ensure Houstonofficers respond as professionally, humanely,and safely as possible to individuals in seriousmental health crises. As a result, Houston hasbecome the leading law enforcement agency inthe State of Texas and one of the nationalleaders in this effort. Houston has providedcrisis intervention training to thousands of lawenforcement and behavioral healthprofessionals across Texas and the nation, andwas one of six police departments nationallyselected by the United States Council of StateGovernments as a learning site for specialized

programs for responding to the mentally ill.

Houston has a multifaceted response strategyfor responding to individuals with behavioralhealth problems that includes five programsthat are outlined in this annual report. Althoughwe are leading in this specialized area of lawenforcement, we continue to work diligentlywith our community partners to improve ourresponse by developing innovative modelpolicing strategies for the City of Houston.

Wendy Baimbridge

Wendy Baimbridge, CaptainHouston Police Department

Mental Health Division

Commander's Message: Workingcollaboratively to address an increasinglycomplex and challenging issue


A Year of ExpansionStarting as a pilot program in 2011, the HomelessOutreach Team (HOT) experienced a year oftremendous milestones in 2014. The team has sig-nificantly expanded, tripling the number of outreachteams addressing the issue of homelessness. Cur-rent staffing includes one sergeant, four officers, andthree case managers from the Mental Health andMental Retardation Authority (MHMRA) of HarrisCounty.

With expansion, HOT required additional equip-ment to allow the teams to go out to the homeless inthe street. Through community support the teamwas able to acquire additional equipment. Grantsfrom the Frees and Simmons Foundations aided inacquiring a Mercedes Sprinter van equipped with awheel chair lift, computer work station, printer, andportable Automatic Fingerprint Identification Sys-tem (AFIS). Additional funding from the Albert andEthel Herzstein Charitable Foundation purchased a

4-wheel drive pickup truck to assist in transportingan ATV purchased with additional funding from theHouston Police Foundation. The ATV and pickuptruck allow the team to access homeless encamp-ments in the woods and on the bayous of the cityand have allowed HOT to assist other divisions whenthe need arises.

The expansion of HOT has allowed the team to ex-pand its outreach capability through expansion ofhours and the area in which it operates. The teamhas been able to be more responsive to requests forassistance from patrol divisions, the Mayor's Office,City Council, local stakeholders, and other agencies.

Shepherd's in BlueHOT has received national and international recog-nition for their collaborative approach to addressingthe homeless issue utilizing community policingstrategies. Through funding from the Frees

Team expands personnel, equipment,and mission

Section 1: Homeless Outreach Team


Team Members: (foreground) Senior Officer JaimeGiraldo; (back row) Sergeant SteveWick, Senior OfficerCollin Mansfield, Senior Officer Janice Terry, Case Manager Supervisor Tony Pastel, (front row) Case ManagerAshley Mullins, Case Manager Deirdre Kimble-Charles, Case Manager Cami West-Puentes, Officer SheldonTheragood.


Helping a veteran get his life andfamily back

Foundation, and Funders Together to End Homeless-ness-Houston, HOT was featured in a documentaryspotlighting the work of the team. The team and videohave been featured in the media in stories in the Huff-ington Post and on Leftist.com. The video is also beingused in various classes at the Houston Police Academyas an example of community policing strategies.

Model of CollaborationA pivotal point in HOT's success has been the employ-ment of collaborative strategies to expand their opera-tions and increase the employment of communitypolicing strategies. Three case managers employedwith MHMRA's PATH program are embedded withHPD personnel in the Homeless Outreach Team unitand collaborate with other community partners to pro-vide social services to the homeless. Officers and casemanagers interact with the homeless on the street andin their encampments providing a conduit to benefitsand services. Some of the numerous service providersinvolved are the Star of Hope Mission, SEARCH

Homeless Services, Salvation Army, US Vets, MainStreet Ministries, Department of Public Safety, SocialSecurity Administration, MHMRA, and Harris Health.As of October 2014, their collaborative efforts have re-sulted in the housing of 487 individuals.

IdentificationOne of the primary problems of the homeless is thelack of identification, either by theft or loss. It is diffi-cult to receive services without identification. HOT hasworked with the Texas Department of Public Safetyand the Social Security Administration and has devel-oped a process for obtaining replacement identifica-tion for the homeless. This collaborative effort has re-sulted in the change of status of an estimated 150clients from "homeless to housed." Further, many oth-er individuals have been able to obtain employment,medical care, substance abuse treatment, mentalhealth treatment, and other benefits through thereestablishment of their identity.

Sergeant Steve Wick with Bob, a U.S. veteran whowas homeless and an alcoholic. At one point Bobwas arrested 32 times in a two-month period for pub-lic intoxication. HOT formed a relationship with Boband offered to help him with his addiction and home-lessness. After many months, Bob said he was finallysick-and-tired of being sick-and-tired and acceptedthe team's offer for help. HOT was able to get Bobinto an alcohol detoxification program at the VA Hos-pital. He has completely turned his life around, rec-onciling with his wife and children, gaining employ-ment, and now running marathons.


Chief Charles A. McClelland, Jr.

"I'm very, very proud of all the officers that serveon the HOT team. They are very dedicated andthey are very passionate about this issue. Whenyou are doing non-traditional policing and pro-viding a service to the community that many lawenforcement agencies don't engage in, youmust have employees who are very passionateand care about the issue."

Dr. Steven Schnee

"It is a true collaborative partnership. This couldnot be done without both sets of players, themental health systems and the law enforcementsystems, coming together communicating, plan-ning, working together over time, evolving to-gether over time."


Senior Officer Jaime Giraldoand Gary

For years Gary was a chronic alcoholic andhomeless. He lived in his teepee (back-ground) under a bridge close to downtownHouston. One day, Gary finally wanted offthe streets and HOT was able to get him intohousing. After completing a nine-month sub-stance abuse treatment program, Gary iscurrently employed and living in a transitionalhousing program. He continues to makestrides in his recovery and hopes to saveenough money to one day buy a piece ofland that he can retire on where he will growvegetables and raise animals.

Encampment Outreach

0

350

700

1050

1400

2011 2012 2013 2014

1,3361,238

1,094

884

Homeless to Housed

0

50

100

150

200

2011 2012 2013 2014

194

123122

83

Referrals

0

1250

2500

3750

5000

2012 2013 2014

4,537

1,129978

Consumer Contacts

0

650

1300

1950

2600

2011 2012 2013 2014

2,416

2,211

1,968

700


Sergeant Steve Wick talks asuicidal woman down from a ten-story parking garage

Sergeant Steve Wick responded to a sui-cide-in-progress call in the 900 block ofClay. Upon arrival, Sergeant Wick saw awoman sitting on the ledge facing out ofthe tenth floor of a parking garage.Sergeant Wick started a conversationwith the woman, trying to convinceher to come down from the ledge. Thedistraught woman told Sergeant Wickthat she wanted to die because her ex-husband did not allow her to see herchildren and there was nothing anyonecould do for her.

"The distraught womantold Sergeant Wick thatshe wanted to die be-cause her ex-husbanddid not allow her to seeher children and therewas nothing anyonecould do for her."

A short while later, Crisis InterventionResponse Team (CIRT) Officer RomanConchola and his clinician partner Michael Er-ickson arrived at the scene. They joinedSergeant Wick in trying to convince the womanto come down from the ledge. The officers andclinician talked to the woman for more than anhour in the rain. The woman finally agreed to

come down from the ledge and the officers care-fully approached her and helped her off. OfficerConchola transported her to the NeuroPsychi-atric Center for stabilization and treatment.


Additional Statistics

Category 2014 Totals

Provider contacts 839

Transports (non-custody) 310

Calls-for-Service 97

Follow-up investigations 628

Other divisions worked with 87

Other law enforcement agencies worked with 29

Arrests 29

Reports 37

Emergency detentions 20

Identification assistance 160

"Houston has the largest homeless population inTexas and the eighth largest in the nation."

- Houston Mayor Annise Parker

"20 to 25 percent of the homeless suffers from someform of severe mental illness. In comparison, only 6percent of Americans are severely mentally ill."

- National Coalition for the Homeless

Roles and Responsibilities

Senior Officer Frank Webb and Officer RebeccaSkillern (right) are the Mental Health Division'strainers. Together, they provide Crisis InterventionTraining (CIT) to all police department personnel(patrol, jail, emergency communications, cadets), toinclude training law enforcement and mental healthpersonnel across the region, state, and nationthrough the Council of State Governments LearningSite Program. Additionally, Officers Webb andSkillern give community presentations, coordinatethe department's CIT Officer of the Quarter awardsprogram, publish a quarterly divisional newsletter,and maintain the department's Mental Health Divi-sion website.

Impacting the department, region,state, and nation

Section 2: Training

Section 2: Training

40-Hour Training/April 2014Mental health training in South Padre Island, Texas, through theCoun-cil of StateGovernments LearningSite Program.Personnel from theSouthPadre IslandPoliceDepartmentand regional agencies attended.


Learning Site

Trainings

Through 2014, Houston hasprovided 18 40-hour mentalhealth trainings classes as aLearning Site to other agen-cies across the region,state, and nation. One classwas in Mankato, Minnesotaand one class was inTuscaloosa, Alabama. Theremaining classes wereacross Texas.

Learning Site Visits

Through 2014, Houston hasconducted five site visits:Durham, NC and Denver, COin 2011; Milwaukee, WI in2012; King County WA andKnoxville TN in 2014. Therewere no site visits in 2013.

Site Visit/September 2014 (left to right) Lieutenant Patrick Plourde, Houston Police Department(HPD); Senior Officer FrankWebb, HPD; Officer Rebecca Skillern, HPD; Executive Assistant Chief MichaelA. Dirden, HPD; Sergeant SusanCoker, Knoxville (TN) PoliceDepartment; Chief Charles A.McClelland, Jr.,HPD; Captain Wendy Baimbridge, HPD.

40-Hour Trainings

0

1.5

3

4.5

6

2011 2012 2013 2014

6

1

6

5

Site Visits

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2011 2012 2014

2

1

2

Section 2: Training

40-Hour Training/December 2014 Mental health training in Seguin, Texas, through the Council ofState Governments Learning Sites Program. Personnel from the Seguin Police Department and regionalagencies attended.

Learning SiteInformationRequests

Houston receives requestsfor training videos, curricula,program information, andconsultations.

Information Requests

0

175

350

525

700

2011 2012 2013 2014

700

618

226

113

Agencies TrainedThrough Learning Site

Several law enforcement and

mental health agencies

attend each of the 40-hour

training classes provided

through the Learning Site

program.

Agencies Trained Through Learning Site Program

0

17.5

35

52.5

70

2011 2012 2013 2014

49

42

65

41


Site Visit/February 2014 (left to right) Deputy Val Kelly, King County Sheriff's Office; Senior OfficerFrank Webb, HPD; Captain Scott Strathy, King County Sheriff's Office; Chief of Police Charles A. McClel-land, Jr., HPD; Deputy Josephine McNaughton, King County Sheriff's Office; Officer Rebecca Skillern,HPD; Executive Assistant Chief Michael A. Dirden, HPD; Captain Wendy Baimbridge, HPD.

Personnel TrainedThrough LearningSite Program (non-HPD personnel)

Houston trains personnelfrom a variety of law en-forcement agencies/juris-dictions.

Personnel Trained Through Learning Site Program

0

125

250

375

500

2011 2012 2013 2014

452

357

401

176

Section 2: Training

HPD Presenters at the International CIT2014 Conference in Monterey, CA

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

(left) Senior Officer Frank Webb and Officer Re-becca Skillern presented a workshop on Post-trau-matic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The workshop fo-cused on both military and law enforcement offi-cers who have PTSD. Because of the stigma, manydo not admit they have a problem and thus do notseek treatment. The presentation allowed openand honest discussion on this issue and the impor-tance of breaking the stigma against mental illnessin the military and in law enforcement.

Alzheimer's Disease

(right) Senior Officer Doug Anders of Houston'sMental Health Division presented a workshop ti-tled "The Alzheimer's Epidemic - A Challengefor Law Enforcement." The aging of our popula-tion provides new challenges to law enforce-ment and the community as more of our citi-zens develop this disease. The workshop pro-vided information on the illness, policies devel-oped by the IACP, missing persons response,and resources available to law enforcementwho respond to individuals with Alzheimer's.

Public/Private Partnerships

(left) Ann MacLeod, LPC-S, NCC, MHMRA ofHarris County (left); Lillian Aguirre Ortiz, MSW,One Voice Texas; and Sergeant Steve Wick,Houston Police Department, conducted a work-shop titled "Taking it to the Next Level: The Po-tential Benefits of Public/Private Partnerships."The trio talked about the innovative, collabora-tive solutions developed in Houston/HarrisCounty for working with people with behavioralhealth needs.


Texas CIT Association

Texas CIT Members at International CIT Conference

Mental Health Division Spearheads Effort toForm Statewide Organization

The Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program is thefoundational program nationally recognized for help-ing law enforcement personnel respond to individualsin serious mental health crises. In addition to an Inter-national CIT association, several states have their ownorganizations.

Efforts have been made over the past few years to starta CIT organization in Texas. Officer Rebecca Skillernstarted working on the daunting challenge of network-ing across this large state and building the Texas CITAssociation. Officer Skillern started her efforts in 2012.She worked with law enforcement and mental healthpartners from San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Bend County,Plano, San Marcos, and others. Officer Skillern, whowas voted the first President, and continues in thatrole today, worked with other founding members toformulate articles of incorporation, bylaws, designa-tion as a 501(c)(3), a mission statement, an organiza-tional chart, offices, committees, website, Facebookpage, and more.

Inaugural Conference

The Association has made great progress, holding itsinaugural conference in San Antonio in April 2014(more on the conference on the next page). Law en-forcement and mental health personnel from acrossthe state attended.

And the keynote speaker was Frederick J. Frese, Ph.D.Dr. Frese is a psychologist who has specialized in thearea of schizophrenia for over 33 years. Diagnosedwith the illness when he was 26, he has worked tire-lessly as a practitioner and advocate for consumersand their families.

Thirty years ago, Dr. Frese was locked up in an Ohiomental hospital,dazed and delusional, with paranoidschizophrenia. Twelve years later, he became the chiefpsychologist for the very hospital system that confinedhim!

Section 2: Training

Texas CIT Inaugural ConferenceSan Antonio, TX

Dr. Fred Frese - Keynote SpeakerSchizophrenia

Sr. Officer Doug Anders and Program Director AnnMacLeod, LPC-S, NCC - Care Homes

Sr. Officer Frank WebbPTSD

Sr. Corporal Herb Cotner, Dallas P.D.Introduction

Dr. Jeffery C. Metzger, MD, FACEP, Dallas P.D.Excited Delirium

Sergeant A. D. Paul, Plano P.D.Special Needs


CIT Officer of the Quarter(left) Sergeant Kenny Li

Before being promoted to sergeant, Officer Kenny Li re-sponded to a suicide-in-progress call at an office build-ing. A male walked up to the fifth floor, sat on a narrowoutside ledge, and threatened to jump off. Officer Listarted talking to him and listened as the man told Offi-cer Li of several past and present problems that led himto the ledge. Officer Li talked to the man for approxi-mately 20 minutes and talked him off of the ledge.

(right) Officer Jason Macha

Officer Jason Macha received a call involving a missingperson. The reportee was the husband who stated hiswife attempted suicide several times in the past by go-ing to an area hotel and overdosing on prescriptiondrugs. He believed she was attempting this again. Aftercalling several hotels, Officer Macha located the wifeand, after receiving no response, forced entry into herhotel room. She was on the bed and despondent. Offi-cer Macha shook her in an attempt to wake her and shegasped, sucking in air. Jason was told by the doctor atthe ER that his shaking her probably saved her life.

(left) Senior Officer Jacques Bland

Officer Bland received a call involving a woman with aknife running in traffic on Loop 610 at the North Free-way. Trucks and cars were swerving to avoid her and18-wheel trucks had brakes squealing and smoking. Of-ficer Bland ran into traffic to save her. Officer Bland wasnearly hit several times but was able to tackle her andtake her into safety.

(right) Officer Corey Harrington

Officer Harrington talked a woman from jumping off afreeway bridge. The woman was schizophrenic and de-pressed and hearing voices telling her to kill herself. Shestated she wanted help but the voices were too strongto overcome. Officer Harrington was very patient andgained the woman's trust by assuring her he was thereto help.

Section 2: Training

Notable Quotes

"POSTs should make Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) a part of bothbasic recruit and in-service training."

- Interim Report of The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing

March 2015

"The single most significant common denominator shared amongcommunities that have successfully improved the criminal justice andmental health systems' response to people with mental illness is thateach started with some degree of cooperation between at least twokey stakeholders - one from the criminal justice system and the otherfrom the mental health system."

- Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus ProjectCouncil of State Governments

June 2002Executive Summary, Section IV, p. xx

"The Houston Police Department is an exemplary law enforcementagency that has successfully developed collaborative partnerships.Houston's Mental Health Division, as a learning site, providesinvaluable assistance to other jurisdictions that are interested indeveloping a specialized policing response model."

- Nicola Smith-Kea, M. Sc., M.A., Policy Analyst, Law Enforcement Program,

Council of State Governments Justice Center


Notable Quotes

"Our Crisis Intervention Team is one of the shining stars in the policedepartment and it's an example of doing the right thing in the rightway and how that can make our city safer."

- Houston Mayor Annise D. Parker

"This [CIT] is the essence of community policing."

- Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland, Jr.

"The essential difference between suspect encounter training, thatofficers traditionally receive, and how to approach the mentally ill isthe need to be non-confrontational. Such a requirement to, in effect,switch gears is diametrically opposed to the way officers are routinelyexpected to control conflict. The same command techniques that areemployed to take a criminal suspect into custody can only serve toescalate a contact with the mentally ill into violence."

- Police Magazine, "Handling the Mentally Ill:There are no shortcuts for officers"March 1, 2000, by D. P. Van Blaricom



Firearms

Firearms, chronic consumers, andboarding homes

(back row left to right) Officer Chris Schuster, Boarding Homes Enforcement Detail (BHED); Officer KyleMcCauley, General Investigations; Senior Officer Doug Anders, BHED; Officer Leon Moulton, ChronicConsumer Stabilization Initiative; (front row left to right) Sergeant Roger Espinoza; Senior Officer MerryRubin, General Investigations; Officer Charlah Woodard, Firearms Investigations; Officer Vince Johnson,BHED.

Texas Representative Allen Fletcher and Texas Sena-tor Joan Huffman authored Senate Bill 1189, whichwas sponsored by Houston's Mental Health Divisionand signed into law September 2013. The law autho-rizes a peace officer, who takes a person into custodyfor an emergency detention, to immediately seizeany firearm found in the person's possession. Onceseized, Officer Charlah Woodard, Houston'sFirearms Investigator, does the following:

• sends a certified letter of the seizure to the con-sumer it was seized from and a family memberor point of contact;

• conducts an Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms traceof the firearm and conducts an National CrimeInformation Center/Texas Crime InformationCenter check;

• contacts the probate court and requests the dis-position of the case;


• if the person was not committed, provides writt-en notice to the person that the firearm may re-turned to him/her;

• if the person was committed, provides written no-tice that the person is prohibited from owning,possessing, or purchasing a firearm and that theperson may petition the court that entered thecommitment;

• if prohibited, the firearm may be released to theperson's designee or sold and the proceeds willgo to the person.

Teamwork Averts Possible Mass Shooting

In April of 2014, Senior Officer Merry Rubin received acall to the Mental Health Division from a young ladywho stated her brother was experiencing homicidalthoughts. Officer Rubin gathered information from thecaller and informed Officer Woodard of the situation.Officer Woodard learned the brother had been abusingbenzodiazepines along with taking medications for hismental illness. Further investigation learned the broth-er had selected a location and stated he wanted to

shoot more people atthat location than anyother mass shooting inhistory. Officer Woodardcontacted one of theMental Health Division'sCrisis Intervention Re-sponse Teams (CIRT),the brother's doctor, andhis psychologist. Work-ing together, they wereable to track and locatethe brother, detain him,and bring him to a hospi-tal for emergency psychi-atric evaluation. The brother was subsequently placedon the Mental Health Division's Chronic ConsumerStabilization Initiative (CCSI) under intensive casemanagement and is monitored on a weekly basis. As aresult, he is on his way to becoming a manager at thestore he has been working at for 10 years and has apositive outlook on life.

Officer Woodard worked on 85 firearms cases in 2014,six of those being felony cases.

Chronic Consumer Stabilization InitiativeAs with criminal activity, a small percentage of individ-uals with mental illness account for the majority of po-lice calls-for-service. These are the individuals whocontinually go into serious mental health crises requir-ing repeated police intervention. Rather than continu-ing this reactionary cycle, the Chronic Consumer Stabi-lization Initiative (CCSI) takes a community policing,proactive, collaborative approach to help keep theseconsumers from going into crisis, thus helping theseindividuals and reducing police intervention.

Expansion of Program and Implementation ofViolent Consumer Initiative

In 2014, the CCSI program expanded from 50 con-sumers to 67 and from four case managers to six. Also,a Violent Consumer Initiative (VCI) was implementedfor those consumers who had one or more violentepisodes involving the police or who made attempts orthreats to carry out a mass shooting or who planned toharm another person.

Officer Charlah WoodardFirearms

Program Statistics

Total hospital days at NeuroPsychiatricCenter and Harris County PsychiatricCenter for 51 clients - an 83% reduction.

Houston Police Department response to 51clients - an 86% reduction. Note: Assuming1.5 hour average CIT call clearance andtwo officers dispatched per policy.

6 months prior to being placedon the CCSI program

137 days

cost = $183,225

After 24 months on the CCSIprogram

22 days

cost = $34,726

6 months prior to being placedon the CCSI program

After 24 months on the CCSIprogram

95 police contacts

cost = $14,022

13 police contacts

cost = $1,919


CCSI Case Study

Ruth Jones is a 54-year-old female with a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder.Ruth was on the CCSI program from March 21, 2009, through October 19, 2011.During this time she was hospitalized approximately 30 times. She was placedback in the program on January 7, 2013. Since being back on the program, shehas only been hospitalized four times, the last hospitalization April 29, 2013.Currently, she is going on two years with no hospitalizations and she is compli-ant with her medications and has no reported side effects. Ruth sees a privatedoctor and is seen every three months. She lives alone and has been in herapartment for one year. Ruth is seen every Thursday by her CCSI case manager. Officer Leon Moulton

CCSI & VCI

Boarding Homes Enforcement Detail

The Boarding Homes Enforcement Detail (BHED)through diligent work has increased the number ofboarding homes in compliance with the new City ofHouston Boarding Homes Ordinance. Enforcement ofthe ordinance has resulted in standardization and im-provement of living conditions for residents in homes,which were not under monitoring or supervision ofstate agencies. Officers have reported that the homesthe detail focuses their attention on have had lowercalls-for-service volume and more compliance.

BHED personnel realized that the elderly and personswith cognitive disabilities are one of our most vulnera-ble populations. As a means of addressing the needs of

these overlooked and at-risk individuals, the MentalHealth Division is spearheading the effort to develop aSenior Justice Assessment Center (SJAC). The SJACwill include representatives of the Houston Police De-partment, Harris County District Attorney's Office,Harris County Sheriff's Office, Harris County MedicalExaminer's Office, City of Houston Health Depart-ment, Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority ofHarris County, Texas Department of Aging and Dis-ability Services, Adult Protective Services, HarrisCounty Health System, and the University of TexasHealth Science Center. The goal of the center is to de-velop a coordinated response to the needs of seniorsand persons with cognitive impairments who are thevictims of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation.

MHD Recognized by State Department

Officers from the Investigative Unit, BHED, CIRT, andclinicians from MHMRA were recognized by the De-partment of State for assisting the Criminal Intelli-gence Division (CID) in an investigation involving aresident of a boarding home who made terroristicthreats against U.S. State Department agents.

With knowledge of the suspect from previous investi-gations, officers from CID filed felony charges againstthe individual based on the nature of the threatsagainst the agents. MHD personnel that included theBHED, CIRT, and MHMRA clinicians executed thewarrant without incident and took the suspect into cus-tody.

(left to right) Senior Officer Doug Anders, Officer VinceJohnson, and Officer Chris Schuster.


Boarding Homes Enforcement Detail2014 Statistics

Cases Assigned 699

Cases Cleared 651

Investigations 701

Cases Initiated from Outside Department 102

Inspections Conducted 88

Code Citations Issued 105

Code Violation Warnings Issued 189

Site Visits 463

Agency Referrals 169

Offense Reports 40

Supplemental Reports 518

DADS Referrals Reviewed 252

Phone Contacts 1136

Investigations 701

Citizen Contacts 1784

Homes Registered 87

Section 4: CIRT

The department's highest-levelresponse to individuals in seriousmental health crisis

Section 4: Crisis Intervention Response Team

Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) - December 2014

The Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) isHouston's co-responder program partnering aHouston CIT officer with a masters-level licensedprofessional clinician from the Mental Health Men-tal Retardation Authority (MHMRA) of HarrisCounty. The following are the objectives of CIRT:

• Assist officers with CIT-related calls• Conduct CIT-related investigations• Respond to SWAT calls as a resource• Handle the most serious CIT calls

Houston has ten full-time units. To our knowledge,Houston has the largest co-responder program withthe officer and clinician riding together as partnersof any single police department in the nation.

Case Study #1:

Saving the Life of a Consumer Havinga Heart Attack

On February 14, 2015, CIRT Officer Kathryn Vogel-sang responded to a helpline referral about a suici-dal consumer. Officer Vogelsang arrived and she and


her clinician partnerevaluated the con-sumer and found thathe was indeed suicidaland in crisis. OfficerVogelsang checked theconsumer and foundhe had three warrants(one felony and twomisdemeanors) out ofNebraska. The origi-nating jurisdictionreplied with a confir-mation and an extradi-tion request. OfficerVogelsang asked a patrol unit to assist her. The offi-cers on the patrol unit were Officer John Vogelsangand Probationary Police Officer (PPO) RobertCarlile. The patrol unit helped in booking the mentalhealth consumer into the Harris County Jail for theoutstanding warrants.

During the bookingprocess, the consumerstated he had a heartcondition and did notfeel well. The con-sumer told the officershe forgot to take hisheart medication andbegan deterioratingquickly. Officer JohnVogelsang called foran ambulance. Whilewaiting for the ambu-lance, Officer John Vo-gelsang looked for a defibrillator as Officer KathrynVogelsang and PPO Carlile laid the consumer on thefloor and attempted to keep him calm. Officer John-Vogelsang and Clinician Pedra Ane returned with

the defibrillator. PPOCarlile and ClinicianPedra Ane placed thedefibrillator pads onthe consumer as hewent into cardiac ar-rest. The defibrillatorread the consumer'sheart condition anddetermined an electricshock was required.The device deliveredone shock which resus-citated the consumerfor only a short while

when he went uncon-scious again and thedefibrillator indicatedchest compressionsshould be initiated.Officer K. Vogelsangimmediately begancompressions. Theambulance arrived ashort time later andtook the consumer tothe hospital where hesurvived the cardiacevent.

Harris County Judge J. Wallace, whose court the of-ficers were in when the consumer went into cardiacarrest, stated all officers had a hand in saving theconsumer's life and personally expressed her grati-tude.

Case Study #2:Threat of Suicide

CIRT Officer David Roseand Clinician Partner AmberKing responded to a requestfor assistance by a HoustonPolice Department patrol of-ficer at a gas station. The of-ficer told the CIRT unit amale had been seen drinkingtwo Dr. Pepper bottles full ofgasoline and threatened toblow himself up with alighter.

The man appeared as anempty shell with very littleinteraction or emotion. Hehad a lack of concern for hiswell being and he had a his-tory of Schizoaffective Disor-der and Post-traumaticStress Disorder. Officer Roseand Clinician King trans-ported the man to Ben TaubGeneral Hospital for emer-gency psychiatric evaluation.

CIRT Officer K. Vogelsang

Patrol Officer J. Vogelsang

Probationary Police OfficerRobert Carlile

CIRT Clinician Pedra Ane

CIRT Officer David Rose

CIRT Clinician Amber King

Section 4: Crisis Intervention Response Team

Case Study #3:Woman Threatening to

Commit Suicide

CIRT Officer Jason Garciaand Clinician Partner ChrisEstes received a call involvinga female perched atop thebridge trusses overlooking theSan Jacinto River. She wasmaking gestures indicatingshe was planning on jumping.

She made statements such as "I'm going to jumpoff this bridge." She was also chain-smoking and atone point threw her lighter off the bridge. Shestopped communicating shortly after throwing herlighter away and placed her head between her legs.With the sun going down and a rainstorm ap-proaching, Clinician Estes made a calculated deci-

sion to try and manipulatethe consumer subtly by hav-ing a group of officers, whowere in the vicinity of wherethe consumer was, light upcigarettes, begin smoking,and circle around acting in anonchalant manner allow-ing the female to see andsmell the smoke. One officeridly flicked his lighter off and on in an unconsciousmanner. After only a couple of minutes, the femalesuddenly left the trusses and approached thegroup of smoking officers requesting a cigarette,which was given to her once she was handcuffed.She was transported to the NeuroPsychiatric Cen-ter for emergency psychiatric evaluation.

CIRT Officer JasonGarcia

CIRT Clinician ChrisEstes

Crisis Intervention Response Team 2014 Statistics

Calls-for-Service 4805

On-View Investigations 762

Offense Reports 1738

Supplements 652

Emergency Detention Orders 1688

Voluntary Committals 23

Referral Follow-Ups 256

SWAT Scenes 12

Arrests 34

Jail Assessments 61


"Law enforcement agencies shouldengage in multidisciplinary,community team approaches forplanning, implementing, andresponding to crisis situations withcomplex causal factors."

- Interim Report of The President's Task Force on 21st Century PolicingMarch 2015

Section 5: StatisticsCIT Calls-for-Service

0

8250

16500

24750

33000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

32,544

29,27227,655

25,48925,105

CIT Reports Reviewed

0

3750

7500

11250

15000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

14,99214,760

10,096

11,52810,628

CIT Reports Catalogued in Database

0

2500

5000

7500

10000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

9,6209,575

8,1818,270

7,024

CIT Cases Investigated

0

475

950

1425

1900

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

1,8431,798

1,410

1,155

1,514



Male Consumers

0

1500

3000

4500

6000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

5,5415,437

4,6554,580

3,822

Female Consumers

0

1025

2050

3075

4100

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

4,0284,060

3,5263,696

3,115

Juvenile Males

0

95

190

285

380

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

373

327

297273

224

Juvenile Females

0

85

170

255

340

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

322

285277

223206

Request Suicide-by-Cop

0

35

70

105

140

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

139

127

105

7782

Suicidal

0

1250

2500

3750

5000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

4,4124,127

3,519

2,3232,208


Completed Suicides

0

32.5

65

97.5

130

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

80

120

92

122

62

Taser Incidents

0

11

22

33

44

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

37

43

24

3030

SWAT Involved Incident

0

5

10

15

20

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

11

19

999

Military Veterans

0

100

200

300

400

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

356

323

231257

145

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

0

75

150

225

300

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

259

201

162143

44

Homeless

0

400

800

1200

1600

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

1,559

1,394

1,150

1,019

528


Consumers with Schizophrenia

0

750

1500

2250

3000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

2,9972,842

2,0382,081

742

Personal Care Facilities

0

175

350

525

700

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

689660

516517

233

Threat of Violence

0

325

650

975

1300

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

808

620637

782

1,237

Firearms Investigations

0

25

50

75

100

2011 2012 2013 2014

93

83

53

83

Off Medications

0

675

1350

2025

2700

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

2,5702,616

2,2042,171

1,677

Admitted to NeuroPsychiatric Center

0

1125

2250

3375

4500

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

4,2074,421

4,0364,192

3,617

Admitted to Ben Taub General Hospital

0

550

1100

1650

2200

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

2,109

1,5141,4921,401

413

Admitted to Veterans Administration Hospital

0

65

130

195

260

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

251

218

180165

144

Admitted to St. Joseph’s Hospital

0

100

200

300

400

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

382

192

97

16

93

Admitted to Other Hospitals

0

250

500

750

1000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

902

731701

138

287

Jail Diversions

0

550

1100

1650

2200

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

1,6811,804

2,105

1,855

2,082

Incidents Involving a Weapon

0

200

400

600

800

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

778753

557

221

317



Consumers with Bipolar Disorder

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

3,6313,350

2,5392,421

1,110

Consumers with Major Depression

0

800

1600

2400

3200

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

3,1363,034

2,4392,518

1,148

Illegal Drug Use

0

200

400

600

800

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

732

602

496493

337

Alcohol Use

0

200

400

600

800

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

726713

611570

384

Section 6: Awards

Officer Rebecca SkillernInstructor of the Year

Officer Rebecca Skillern received the Instructor ofthe Year Award at the Police Week Awards Lun-cheon in May 2014. Officer Skillern, with her train-ing partner Senior Officer Frank Webb, trained hun-dreds of personnel (law enforcement, corrections,mental health) in 2014 through the United StatesCouncil of State Governments Learning Site Pro-gram. Within the department, Officer Skillern pro-vided the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement'sMental Health Peace Officer class to 274 cadets andveteran officers, taught a State-mandated Interme-diate CIT class to over 1,000 personnel, taught aneight-hour class on mental illness to almost 300new-hire jail personnel, taught a four-hour class onsuicide prevention to veteran jail personnel, andteaches a class on mental illness/Houston's MHD tonew dispatchers and call-takers.

Officer Reginald DunnCIT Officer of the Year

Officer Reginald Dunn also received his award dur-ing the Police Week Awards Luncheon in May 2014.Officer Dunn is a Crisis Intervention Response Team(CIRT) officer and one of the most productive, lead-ing the division in 2013 in two critical areas: calls-for-service (727) and emergency detentions (241).One of the calls responded to by Officer Dunn andhis clinician partner Michael Hawkins was a callfrom the Houston FBI office asking for assistance re-garding a posted YouTube video where a mentallydisturbed individual made threatening statementsabout carrying out a "Sandy Hook" style elementaryschool shooting. The video included rants and ravesindicating the individual was depressed, angry, andparanoid. Officer Dunn and his partner interviewedthe man and transported him for emergency psychi-atric evaluation.

Section 6: Awards

Senior Officer Doug AndersSenior Police Officer of the Year

Since the program’s inception in 1999, CIT officershave voiced concerns about facilities that house indi-viduals with disabilities. The list of concerns has var-ied and ranged from inadequate training of facilitypersonnel/staff, numerous calls-for-service to cer-tain locations, financial swindles, physical abuse, ne-glect, and covert misrepresentation to victims’ lovedones.

Once assigned to the Mental Health Unit, Senior Po-lice Officer (SPO) Doug Anders began the arduoustask of developing and writing a city ordinance toregulate such facilities. After three years of persis-tence on this extremely complex issue, SPO Anderssucceeded in having the City’s first-ever BoardingHomes Ordinance passed and adopted by City Coun-cil on July 24, 2013. SPO Anders accomplished thisfeat by collaborating with several community enti-ties: Houston City Council, Houston Fire Depart-ment, Houston Health Department, Administrationand Regulatory Affairs, Public Works, DisabilityRights Texas, Adult Protective Services, Texas De-partment of Aging and Disability Services, and theHarris County District Attorney’s Office.

The ordinance created a registration process, whichincorporates access to the facilities by the HoustonPolice Department Mental Health Division (MHD),background checks for staff and caregivers, annualfire inspections, a mandatory fire evacuation plan,mandatory record-keeping, and a requirement to re-port criminal activity and deaths. Thanks to the ef-forts of SPO Anders, the City and police departmenthave a fundamental tool to help elevate the qualityof life for individuals living in these facilities.

Sergeant George MixonAdministrative Classified Employee of the Year

In May of 2013, the Mental Health Unit was elevatedfrom unit to divisional status. Sergeant Mixon trans-ferred into the division with the goal of setting upand establishing HPD’s newest addition to the orga-nizational chart. He began the arduous tasks of:

• Drafting new Standard Operating Procedures forthe division

• Amending existing procedures to mirror new re-sponsibilities

• Writing circulars noting legislative changes per-taining to mental health

• Assisting with the interview processes to fill ex-istng positions and new allocations

• Establishing various monthly reporting mecha-nisms for internal and external accountability

• Helping to develop the divisional budget

• Directing and supervising the scanning of fiveyears of paper files

• Providing vital assistance with the update ofGeneral Order 500-12, Persons Affected withMental Illness

Officers who were assigned to the MHD prior to thetransition from unit to division have positively com-mented on the seamless transition and how thechange has enabled them to work solely on opera-tions because administrative duties were reassigned.The formation of the MHD would not have beenpossible without the hard work, dedication, andclose attention to detail displayed by SergeantMixon.


Section 7: Work Ahead

Senior Justice Assessment Center The Mental Health Division (MHD) identified a need to address the growing problem of elder abuse. In 2015, the division will attempt to develop a Memorandum of Understanding between the following agencies: Adult Protective Services, City of Houston Department of Health, Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, MHMRA of Harris County, Texas Attorney General’s Office, University of Texas Health Science Center, and Harris Health. The MHD will work during 2015 to collaborate with these agencies to form a multidisciplinary team to provide expert and comprehensive case examination, documentation, consultation, and prosecution of elder and dependent adult cases involving victims of abuse.

The intent is to base Houston’s program on similar programs in Los Angeles County, San Francisco, and Orange County (CA). The MHD plans to visit Los Angeles County in the summer of 2015.

9-1-1 Diversion Project The MHD will work to fund and pilot the 9-1-1 Diversion Project. This project will place crisis hotline personnel from the Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County in the Houston Emergency Center. It is believed a percentage of CIT calls can be handled over the phone by crisis hotline counselors rather than dispatching a patrol unit. This program is similar to the successful Patrol Desk Unit.

United States Council of State Governments Learning Site Program

Work to make Houston the most active of the six national learning sites.

Section 7: The Work Ahead


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