Mental health workers protest new initiative pairing Buffalo police with social workers

The year-long contract is between the Buffalo Police Department and Endeavor Health Services.

INEFFECTIVEBANDAIDTONIGHT --PROTESTING A PLANTHAT IS MEANT TOHELP PEOPLE WHOARE STRUGGLINGWITH MENTAL HEALTHISSUES.GOOD EVENING.A NEW INITIATIVEPAIRS POLICEOFFICERS WITHSOCIAL WORKERS.THEY WILL WORKTOGETHER ON 9-1-1RESPONSE.GILAT MELAMEDLEARNED WHY SOMECLAIM THIS COULDPUT PEOPLE WHOFACE MENTAL HEALTHCHALLENGES ATGREATER RISK.A GROUP OF SOCIALWORKERS ANDMENTAL HEALTHPROFESSIONALSOPPOSE THEDECISION TO PUTSOCIAL WORKERS ONTHE BUFFALO POLICEDEPARTMENT'SBEHAVIORAL HEALTHTEAM."SOCIAL WORKERSNEED TO BE ANINDEPENDENTSOLUTION ANMENTAL HEALTHRESPONSE TEAM."SPEAKERS SAY THEETHICS OF SOCIALWORK AND POLICEWORK DO NOT ALIGN."TO PROPOSE TOPLACE SOCIALWORKERS WITHIN ASYSTEM THAT LACKSSOUND EQUITABLEACCOUNTABILITYESPECIALLY WITHINTHE BUFFALO POLICEDEPARTMENT ISIRRESPONSIBLE ANDITS PUTTING THEFOLKS WHO NEED TOBE RESPONDED TO ATRISK AS WELL AS THESOCIAL WORKERSWHO ARERESPONDING."THEY CALL THEPROGRAM A BAND AIDAPPROACH.:06"8-5 ON WEEKDAYSLIKE THATS WHENMETAL HEALTH CRISISHAPPEN."THEY WANT A MENTALHEALTH RESPONSESYSTEMINDEPENDENT OFPOLICE TO BEDISPATCHED TO 911MENTAL HEALTHCALLS.A STATEMENT FROMTHE CITY SAYSOFFICERS ANDSOCIAL WORKERSWORK TO GETPEOPLE IN DISTRESSTHE HELP THEY NEED-- AND MANYSITUATIONS REQUIREBOTH UNITS.ON SCREENMANY SITUATIONSREQUIRE BOTH ATRAUMA INFORMEDCARE APPROACH BY ASOCIAL WORKER ANDTHE PRESENCE OFPOLICE BECAUSE THEINDIVIDUAL MAY STILLBE A DANGER TOTHEMSELVES OROTHERS, INCLUDINGTHE SOCIAL WORKERWHO IS RESPONDING.THE CITY SAYSFUNDING FOR THETEAM WENT TOENDEAVOR HEALTHSERVICES AND NOTBPD.

SO THEY CAN'TRE-ALLOCATE IT TOANOTHER PROGRAM.SOT"PART OF OURSTRENGTH AS SOCIALWORKERS IS BEINGABLE TOCOLLABORATE ANDWORK EFFECTIVELYIN OTHER SYSTEMSAND TO BRING OUREXPERTISE AND OURTRAINING WITHINTHAT SYSTEM TOPROMOTE SOCIALJUSTICE ANDCHANGE, SO WEACTUALLY HAVE NOTEXPERIENCED ANYDIFFICULTIESCOLLABORATINGWITH LAWENFORCEMENT UP TOTHIS POINT."CRISIS SERVICESRESPONDS TO CALLSONLY IF IT GOESTHROUGH THEIRHOTLINE.THEY RECEIVED 45-HUNDRED CALLSLAST YEAR -- ANDHELPED POLICE LESSTHAN HALF THE TIME."OUR HOTLINECOUNSELORS CANHELP EVALUATE WHATTHE NEEDS ARE.

DOWE NEED AN ACTUALPHYSICAL RESPONSEIS THERE SUPPORTWE CAN DO OVERTHE PHONE."CRISIS SERVICES ISWORKING WITHCOUNTY DISPATCH TOHAVE SOME 911 CALLSDIVERTED TO THEIRMOBILE RESPONSETEAM.THERE'S NO STARTDATE OR LOCATIONFOR THE PILOT.IN BUFFALO, GILATMELAMED, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS.NEW AT 11 -- A MAN