City approves emergency state funds to keep mental‑health clinicians working with police through September

The Finance Committee reviewed emergency funding of $65,000 from the state to continue the city’s jail‑arrest diversion mental‑health clinician program through Sept. 15. Department officials said the funds are a temporary release by the state because the full state budget remains unresolved. "They know we're going to be funded; they don't know at what level, so they felt comfortable releasing this money so that we could keep employees going beyond July 1," said a program representative. The clinicians are based out of the city’s office, carry radios and either self‑deploy with officers or are taken to scenes by officers when needed, the program lead said. The clinicians operate broadly from 8 a.m. through late evening with overnight coverage to maximize clinician availability. Program staff described the unit as an effort to reduce hospital transports where mental‑health treatment, rather than emergency medical services or jail, is the primary need. "What we try to do is limit the trips to the hospital," the program lead said, adding that clinicians can check client histories and continue the conversation with individuals after the initial contact. Committee members asked how many clinicians the funding supports; staff said the positions total 3.6 full‑time equivalent clinicians, with the remaining 0.6 used for supervision. Officials said the city hopes to expand toward 24/7 coverage but is not there yet. Because the award is an interim state release tied to an unsettled state budget, staff described the funding as temporary and subject to state budget outcomes.