Community Crisis Assistance Team Pilot

Due to a dramatic increase in the number of calls involving individuals in crisis, the Bellevue Police Department recognizes the need to imagine new ways to respond to these calls and ensure the best outcome for the individual, their family, and the community by diverting them out of the criminal justice system and providing an alternative pathway to address their mental health and behavioral crisis.

In response, Bellevue Police created the Community Crisis Assistance Team (CCAT) in collaboration with Bellevue Fire. CCAT conducted a four-month pilot program occurring between May 1^st and August 31^st, 2021. During the pilot, CCAT tested three different program models to determine which worked best for Bellevue residents. The program models included officers teaming up with mental health professionals from Bellevue Fire CARES to co-respond to calls requiring crisis response and social services. While every Bellevue police officer is trained in crisis intervention and de-escalation, CCAT members received extensive training in responding to crisis situations. This training included mental health first aid, crisis intervention, trauma, and other topics applicable to their new role in the co-responder model.

Mission

CCAT provides a coordinated community response to assist individuals in crisis. CCAT combines law enforcement with local social services/medical organizations and the mental health system to offer individuals a higher level of service.

Goals

The goals set for CCAT were:

1. Improve community/police response to persons suffering from a behavioral health crisis by connecting them with appropriate social services and diverting them away from the criminal justice system
2. Address underlying issues to improve the quality of life of others
3. Reduce recidivism

The CCAT program’s desired outcomes were to reduce:

1. The number of individuals arrested
2. The number of individuals booked into jail
3. The number of unnecessary hospital emergency room visits
4. The occurrences of police use of force

Several community stakeholders, including medical institutions and homeless outreach organizations, were consulted during the development of the program to identify the needs of those served, gaps in existing emergency services and process improvements needed to get treatment for those in crisis.

CCAT tested three types of models during the pilot:

1. One non-uniformed police officer with specific mental health training and one mental health professional (MHP) working as a team in one vehicle.
2. Two non-uniformed police officers with specific mental health training working as a team in one vehicle.
3. Two CARES Mental Health Professionals (MHP) responding to police calls when requested by uniformed police officers on the scene.

Two key features were necessary for the success of the program:

1. Calls involving behavioral health crises needed to be diverted specifically to CCAT units by 9-1-1 dispatch.
2. The CCAT team needed the ability to follow up with those contacted after the initial crisis was over.

The final evaluation showed CCAT was highly successful in diverting people from jails and hospitals, decreased police use of force, and significantly increased the amount of time CCAT officers spent on calls. Further, the evaluation provides evidence the CCAT team was highly effective in accomplishing the goals and outcomes laid out prior to the pilot.