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Committee approves resolution urging trauma‑informed behavioral‑health crisis response
Summary
The committee passed PR 26‑108 urging the mayor to prioritize trauma‑informed, healing‑centered responses and to make behavioral‑health professionals the default frontline responders for crises. The resolution recommends SAMHSA‑aligned practices, improved OUC/DBH coordination, and FY '27 investments in stabilization services.
Chairwoman Henderson introduced PR 26‑108, a sense‑of‑the‑council resolution urging the mayor to adopt humane, trauma‑informed and healing‑centered approaches to behavioral‑health crises and recommending that behavioral‑health professionals be the default frontline responders rather than law enforcement.
"This urges the mayor to take action to create a humane trauma informed and healing centered approach to responding to behavioral health crises," Henderson said, outlining the resolution’s emphasis on workforce, training, and coordinated operations.
The committee print links findings to actionable recommendations guided by the SAMHSA framework: it calls for clearer transfer procedures at the Office of Unified Communications (OUC), staffing benchmarks and credentialing for DBH's community response teams and the child and adolescent mobile psychiatric service (CHAMPS), and shared data and joint training with MPD and FEMS. The print also flags gaps in crisis beds, observation units and respite centers and recommends FY '27 budget investments to expand stabilization services.
Henderson moved the draft report and print for PR 26‑108 en bloc with leave for staff to make technical changes; the committee voted 'aye' and approved the resolution.
The resolution was jointly referred to the Committee on Health and the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety and will inform coordination across agencies and future budget discussions.
