March Fellowship Meeting Recap
The following are some highlights from the presentation at the March Monthly Fellowship. The presenters were SGT Mike Stirk and Officer Rex Cole with HOT and Officer Greg Whiteford with Personal Emergency Response Team (PERT).
The Homeless Outreach Team, consists of four officers, two Health and Human Services, and a team for chronic offenders of the public drunkenness statute (SIP Serial Inebriate Program).
18,000 contacts, 800 placements, can take a person to a housing, or medical facilities, working with the hospital social worker,
The PERT group serves mental health concerns and has been around in the dept for about 20 years. Ten years ago, there were only 24 clinicians for all of San Diego county (from the border to Escondido). Last year added ten more clinicians in the budget. Seven positions have been filled with background-approved applicants. More to come, heading toward a total of 40.
How the HOT/PERT response works:
When the team gets a call, they usually take people to the hospital, they can get people who need it in front of a mental health specialist, and get the medications they need, etc. The idea with PERT is to get clinicians into the field to be as effective as possible.
Last year PERT fielded 17,000 calls and about half resulted in transport to hospital. The rest of the time, people can be talked with and directed referred for the services they need.
This is different than traditional police work - because the decision is deeper than just deciding if the person needs to be hospitalized. The officers and the clinician can start the paperwork while still out in the field and the clinician can go to the hospital with the patient. This allows the field officer to get back to the field without waiting in the hospital until the situation is resolved.
When responding without an officer, they get more honest answers. When talking to a PERT clinician, the question goes from “Do you want to get off the streets?” where the homeless are afraid of getting in trouble with the officer… to the question, “Are you trying to get off the streets? What are you doing to try to get off the streets?” and giving information and phone numbers to call if you change your mind.
Everything the HOT does is based on consent, and making arrangements to help. No one will be handcuffed and dragged into St Vincent’s. The only thing HOT can enforce is jail if a law is broken or hospital for health evaluation. All parties are treated with respect and steps are taken to work with detox centers. Hospital and then detox once it becomes available, and then
According to national statistics, it takes about three times in detox for it to “stick” just because someone isn’t successful the first time, doesn’t mean they won’t be.
HOT/PERT teams have had to evolve their mission as the unsheltered homeless situation has changed over time.
Have had to start checking in on people during our uncommitted times, serve everyone to be part of the solution.
Main challenges: the individuality of humanity - not everyone needs the same solutions, and taking the time to tailor the solutions to each person, it took a half an hour to get someone to tell him he was using meth, even with the tie off still on his arm, once they say their not enforcement, they get more answers, but it takes a long time.
Team Needs: We can all work together. As far as the larger providers, The Rock Church, St Vincent's, Rescue Mission, Ocean Beach churches, etc. It’s when everyone works together that things get done. The criminal element likes to hide among the homeless - they thrive in the chaos. The more information we can spread, the more sharing, the more we can get done and the less people will fall through the cracks.