Tents belonging to homeless neighborhood members in Oklahoma City.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Council permitted a one-year contract with Mental Health Association Oklahoma (MHAOK) to assist a pilot Homeless Street Outreach Program.
The program will implement initiatives really helpful by the Strategies to Address Homelessness report, Law Enforcement Policy Task Force and Community Policing Working group, all of which recognized the necessity for enhanced outreach and coordinated response to psychological well being calls.
“This program advances the winnable fight to end homelessness,” mentioned Terri White, CEO of Mental Health Association Oklahoma. “MHAOK is grateful to the City of OKC for expanding our ability to connect with individuals experiencing homelessness and offer a life-changing path from the streets to housing, mental health and medical care, employment and self-sustainability. Working closely with the OKC Police and Fire Departments, we are excited to offer an alternative to police response as well as jail diversion. There is no doubt this program can serve as a model for cities across the country to emulate.”
MHAOK will dedicate two street outreach and disaster response groups to the program.
Each crew will likely be made up of a licensed clinician and two case managers, who will assist join these experiencing homelessness to neighborhood assets for housing, psychological and bodily well being, restoration packages, employment help and different companies.
The groups may even coordinate with the City’s Public Safety Departments to offer a non-police response to calls for help when requested, in a co-responder mannequin or on their very own.
“At its core, homelessness is not a police issue,” mentioned Police Chief Wade Gourley. “Having a case worker respond to an unsheltered person rather than an officer in uniform can end with better results and frees officers up to respond to other matters.”
City officers say the multidisciplinary crew method will assist triage and de-escalate conditions involving individuals experiencing psychological well being crises. It additionally helps first responders select different choices akin to behavioral well being companies to scale back pricey stays in jail and emergency room visits in addition to enhance high quality of care and outcomes for individuals needing help.
“This partnership aligns with the Fire Department’s mission to ‘Meet the Need’,” mentioned Fire Chief Richard Kelley. “It will also expand our horizons in serving our homeless community with direct access to a licensed professional.”
City officers say the contract with MHAOK can’t to exceed $572,000.
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