Council authorizes MOU with University of Alabama for nursing students to work with EMS social workers

The Tuscaloosa City Council authorized a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Alabama College of Nursing to expand a program placing nursing students — described as peer support specialists — with city social workers and emergency medical services personnel.

Chief Del presented the item as an expansion of an existing arrangement in which nursing students ride on rescue trucks and observe prehospital care. He said the new "minds and mentors" component will pair students with the city’s social workers and EMS peer specialists to provide community outreach at no direct cost to the city beyond staff time. "This is for real. This is a resolution authorizing a memorandum of understanding with the University of Alabama, focusing on their nursing program," Chief Del said. He added that "These are students that are peer support specialists. So this is they're actually gonna work with our social workers, EMSP, and kind of it's an opportunity for them to give back to the community is what this is. It's no cost to us. It's just the time that that our social workers will use to work with them and kinda mentor them."

The chief said students will participate in social hubs at locations where the city receives frequent assistance calls, citing Crescent East and Clara Werner as examples. Council members praised the program as beneficial to residents and potentially reducing some ambulance service calls. The council moved, seconded and approved the MOU by voice vote during the meeting.