Committee advances resolution urging humane, trauma-informed behavioral health crisis response

On Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety voted to move the print and report for PR 20 six-one 108, a sense resolution urging "humane and trauma informed responses to behavioral health crises." Council Member Brooke Pinto, chairwoman of the committee, presented the resolution and described its purpose and recommended executive actions.

Pinto said the committee had previously held a joint public roundtable with the Committee on Health and that the resolution seeks to align District practice with national best practices. "Public health is public safety," Pinto said, stressing that responses to behavioral health crises should include trained clinicians alongside law enforcement when appropriate. She read statistics into the record, saying the Metropolitan Police Department "responded to over 36,000 behavioral health crisis calls" in FY22; that the Department of Behavioral Health's community response team in FY24 "responded to 5,671 calls resulting in 3,459 interventions"; and that FY24 recorded "294,439 substance use and psychiatric emergency department visits." Pinto also cited OUC data that the District's 9-1-1 call center received "683 mental health calls" in FY24.

The print, Pinto said, was revised to detail cross-agency coordination among the Office of Unified Communications (OUC), the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Fire and EMS, and local hospitals, and to "build out" the national best practices and the staffing and resources needed to meet them. The resolution, as introduced, also urges the mayor to take actions intended to strengthen the District's crisis response system and close identified service gaps.

Councilmember Anita Bonds voiced support during discussion, thanking health practitioners and MPD for their input. "This is the thing that we need to be doing to help throughout society," Bonds said, noting the pandemic increased demand and calling for staffing and modest funding to reach vulnerable residents.

Pinto moved the print and report and asked staff to incorporate the committee discussion and any technical changes with the Office of the Attorney General and general counsel. The committee approved both the print and the report by voice vote; Pinto declared, "The ayes have it unanimously." The committee adjourned with no further business.

Next steps outlined in the motion direct staff to prepare the revised print and report for the full council's consideration and to coordinate technical edits with general counsel. The resolution itself is a "sense of the council" document and does not, by itself, appropriate funds.