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Wayne County approves Hagira Health contract to expand regional crisis co‑response
Summary
The county approved a two‑year contract with Hagira Health to scale law‑enforcement co‑responder teams countywide, aiming to expand hours, add regional mobile teams and strengthen follow‑up and linkages for mental‑health and overdose crises.
The Health and Human Services committee approved a 24‑month contract (with an option to renew) intended to expand an existing law‑enforcement co‑responder model across Wayne County.
Dr. Amnish, the county’s medical health officer, framed the proposal as an investment to scale Hagira Health’s co‑response teams so municipalities countywide can access crisis care linked to law enforcement. "This really pairs the care team with law enforcement to be able to respond to mental health, substance use, and overdose crises with care and support and linkages to the services they need," Dr. Amnish said.
Carol Zuniga, identified in the meeting as chief executive officer of Hagira Health, described the model: staff are co‑stationed with police departments and co‑respond to behavioral‑health calls, provide warm handoffs, follow up with clients and arrange linkages to treatment. "Last year we served over 1,500 individuals out in the community through our law‑enforcement co‑responders," Zuniga said. Hagira and county staff said the contract phases expansion by region (western Wayne first, then Down River and other regions) and anticipates adding evening/weekend coverage and multiple regional teams during the two‑year term.
Commissioners pressed staff and Hagira about operational details: how municipalities pay for embedded staff (municipal self‑funding, grants or cost‑based fees), dispatching protocols, whether crisis‑bed shortages would affect placements, and reporting cadence. County staff and Hagira said they will coordinate with Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network when higher‑level placements are needed and committed to making outcome data available to the commission on request, with suggested six‑month updates during rollout.
A motion to approve the contract was moved, supported and carried during the meeting. County staff noted the contract includes planning and development phases and that Hagira has existing contracts with several municipalities in the region.
