Hahn Authors 2 Motions Calling For More Streamlined Responses To Mental Health Crises
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Los Angeles County officials are taking additional action to help with suicide prevention.
The Board of Supervisors plans to meet on Tuesday to discuss ways to help improve how the county responds to mental health crises.
Supervisor Janice Hahn authored a motion calling for the co-sponsorship of Assembly Bill 988, the Miles Hall Lifeline Act, which would establish 9-8-8 as a nationwide suicide prevention hotline number.
She also proposed a second motion that would help suicide prevention counselors work with teams from L.A. County to dispatch in-person psychiatric help.
Both motions are set to be discussed during Tuesday's board meeting.
Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Police Department launched a new pilot program that dispatches a sworn officer and a Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinician to certain mental health calls as part of a series of efforts to remove law enforcement from nonviolent and non-criminal situations.
The LAPD responds to thousands of mental health calls every year, but advocates say many don't need an armed response but rather, a mental health professional.
Now with the changes in place, a clinician will be dispatched right away to nonviolent calls with a sworn officer.
