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Takoma Park reviews early results from county–city mental‑health pilot; officials seek clearer data on off‑hours demand
Summary
City and county staff briefed the council on a three‑month snapshot of the co‑responder mental‑health pilot: 89 logged calls since December, clinicians handled about half the on‑hour responses, and officials agreed to refine data collection (including tagging 988 referrals) before expanding coverage or staffing.
Takoma Park and Montgomery County officials on Tuesday outlined early results from a pilot program that pairs mental‑health clinicians with police dispatch to respond to crisis and behavioral‑health calls.
Deputy City Manager Zara said the city began structured data collection on Dec. 1 and that, through Feb. 28, clinicians logged 89 calls — roughly 1.4 clinician‑period calls per weekday. "We fielded 89 calls," Zara said, noting most were during daytime hours when city clinicians are on duty and that the program mixes clinician‑only and co‑responder models.
Why it matters: the pilot is meant to test whether calls for service can be diverted from…
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