The Crisis Response Team is a collaborative effort between the Carroll County Board of Commissioners, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Carrollton Mayor and Council, and the Carrollton Police Department. The response team consists of a two-member team of co-responders (a law enforcement officer, who is also a certified paramedic, and a Licensed Professional Counselor) that responds to psychiatric/mental health crisis calls in a specialized mobile unit. Since the team began answering calls for service last year, they have responded to 304 emergency psychiatric crisis calls dispatched by 911; been active in service 2052 hours; 209 days. CCCRT de-escalated 66% of those calls on scene without further involvement with law enforcement officers or other first responders. Twenty-seven percent of the calls that CCCRT responded to were directly transported and admitted to a crisis stabilization facility and received immediate treatment. To date the mobile crisis team has responded to only one call which resulted in an arrest due to criminal activity. The CCCRT team has facilitated 462 follow-up contacts since inception in April 2021.
Carroll County Chairman Michelle Morgan advised in a statement, “I am very proud of the work that the Carroll County Crisis Response Team does to assist those in our community experiencing a mental health crisis. I appreciate the time and effort they pour into their positions that have helped make this the successful program it is has become.” City of Carrollton Mayor Betty Cason stated, “I think this has been the most successful program that has been implemented in our City and County that addresses the emergency need of people in crisis and provides the aftercare needed for people with mental illness.”
The goal of the Carroll County Crisis Response Team is to de-escalate mental health crisis on scene to avoid arrests and to provide follow up contact to receive further assistance as needed. “The mobile crisis unit has been successful in helping alleviate the pressures inside the jail population of individuals who need mental health assistance and advocacy instead of being placed in jail,” stated Carroll County Sheriff Terry Langley, “I am grateful for the continued partnership and support between Carroll County and the City of Carrollton,” he continued. Carrollton Police Chief Joel Richards echoed the Sheriff’s sentiment by saying, “I feel encouraged by the numbers that have resulted from the creation of this unit. I’m hopeful for the many people who deal with mental health issues because of the men and women that are dedicated to the CCCRT. I am most impressed with only 1 person being arrested out of over 300 calls for service. I am proud to be a part of this collaboration and look forward to what the future holds for it.”
The Carroll County Crisis Response Unit looks to add another response team this year to make service available to more Carroll County citizens.
