Us department of Justice: investigation of the city of minneapolis and the minneapolis police department

On April 21, 2021, the Department of Justice opened a pattern or practice investigation of the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the City of Minneapolis. By then, Derek Chauvin had been convicted in state court for the tragic murder of George Floyd in 2020. In the years before, shootings by other MPD officers had generated public outcry, culminating in weeks of civil unrest after George Floyd was killed. Our federal investigation focused on the police department as a whole, not the acts of any one officer. To be sure, many MPD officers do their difficult work with professionalism, courage, and respect. Nevertheless, our investigation found that the systemic problems in MPD made what happened to George Floyd possible. We also found persistent deficiencies in MPD’s accountability systems, training, supervision, and officer wellness programs, which contribute to the violations of the Constitution and federal law. Link.

University of Chicago: Chicago's Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) Pilot Implementation Evaluation

CARE is one example of the new types of crisis response programs that have proliferated throughout the country over the past decade. However, despite the rapid advancement of these novel models, much remains unknown regarding operational practices, comparability across sites, or effectiveness. This implementation evaluation was designed to help Chicago policymakers identify and address operational challenges before implementing CARE at-scale throughout the city, and to lay the foundation for a subsequent outcome evaluation. Link.

Portland State: Portland Street Response: Two year program evaluation

PF&R contracted with the Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative to conduct a program evaluation of Portland Street Response that is guided by three primary purposes: examining the overall effectiveness of Portland Street Response, providing suggestions for continued program refinement and adaptation following its citywide expansion, and providing recommendations for sustaining and institutionalizing PSR as a permanent and co-equal branch of the first response system in Portland The mixed-methods evaluation is comprehensive, community centered, and includes feedback from a variety of stakeholders and sources, including interviews with unhoused community members and others served by Portland Street Response. Link.

City of Minneapolis: 911/MPD Workgroup

Directing the City Coordinator’s Office to convene a workgroup comprised of internal City staff as well as community members to analyze dispatch call categories and determine whether there are opportunities to expand the City’s ability to respond to those calls beyond the Minneapolis Police Department. Link.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: 2025 National Guidelines for a Behavioral Health Coordinated System of Crisis Care

The 2025 National Guidelines for a Behavioral Health Coordinated System of Crisis Care (2025 National Crisis Guidelines) establishes a framework to transform behavioral health crisis care systems and reduce the impact of substance use and mental illness on communities throughout the United States. Spearheaded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), these guidelines aim to provide equitable, accessible, and effective responses to behavioral health crises, and support program design, development, implementation, and continuous quality improvement for behavioral health crisis care throughout the nation. Link.

City of los angeles: status update on the development of an alternative response framework

This report provides a status update on the City’s Alternative Response Programs, including an update on the implementation of the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response (UMCR) pilot program; and an update to the development of the City’s Alternative Response Framework. This report is specifically responsive to Council Files, but also includes updates on the ongoing conversations around the creation of a Citywide alternative response program and an Office of Unarmed Response. Link.

NYC Comptroller Brad Lander: Audit of the Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division’s Effectiveness in Responding to Individuals with Mental Health Crises and Meeting Its Goals

This audit assessed the ability of the B-HEARD pilot to provide mental health emergency assistance to New Yorkers dealing with a non-violent mental health crisis and whether program goals are being met and recommends improvements. Link.

Dr. Luke Bergmann, San Diego Behavioral Health Services Director: Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) Communication Campaign

This presentation was given in 2022 when San Diego Health and Human Services announced a campaign for their MCRT program. Link.

Mayor’s office of community mental health: B-Heard data

This website contains data from all years of the NYC crisis response program. Link.

LA county department of mental health: mobile crisis hiring and retention strategies

This presentation details strategic hiring efforts by LA County’s Department of Mental Health for their alternative crisis response programs. Link.

LA county department of mental health: Do worthwile work - 2023 hiring campaign

This website details the mission of the LA County Department of Mental Health, and available positions. Link.