Page 9 - PCPA Winter 2024 Bulletin Magazine

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE (CONTINUED)
• People who are arguing and in need of mediation
• Behaviors that might be due to substance use,
mental health, intellectual disability, or other hu-
man service’s needs.
Exclusionary criteria: The A-Team will not respond
to calls that include any of the following unallowable
conditions:
• Medical emergency
• Access to a gun with intention to use it
• Active suicide attempt
• Suicide threat with a plan involving an accessible
weapon
• Person-on-person violence
6.  Determining Response Type and Requesting
the A-Team
Determining response type: The type of A-Team
response requested (Alternative, Simultaneous, or
Secondary) is determined by identifying if any of the
following conditions are present on the call:
• Active self-harm with a weapon
• Physical violence threats
• History of person-on-person violence
• Destruction of property
• Person-on-person violence
If one or more of the conditions above are present,
law enforcement can request a Simultaneous re-
sponse. The A-team will work in tandem with law
enforcement.
If none of the conditions above are present, law en-
forcement can request an Alternative response. The
A-Team will respond to the call instead of law en-
forcement. If law enforcement officers are already on
the scene, they can request a Secondary response.
In this case, law enforcement will provide a warm
hand-off to the A-Team.
Requesting the A-Team: Following a call being
placed to 9-1-1, the 9-1-1 dispatcher will inform law
enforcement of the call as usual. Law enforcement
will then screen the call for A-Team eligibility and Re-
sponse Type. If the call is determined to be eligible,
law enforcement will request an A-Team response to
the 9-1-1 dispatcher over the radio.
The 9-1-1 dispatcher will then call the A-Team Dis-
patch Coordinator on the phone. From the informa-
tion provided by the 9-1-1 Dispatcher, the Dispatch
Coordinator will then confirm the call’s eligibility and
share the A-Team’s availability and, if available, its
ETA. The A-Team Clinical Supervisor consults with
BHFRs before every call and can confer with law en-
forcement prior to A-Teams arrival on scene, if nec-
essary. The A-Team Clinical Supervisor can also go
into the field as needed.
7.  Officer Responsibilities and Communication
Procedures
Command staff responsibilities:
Officer responsibilities: Law enforcement officers are
expected to follow all policies and procedures for the
alternative response initiative and implement chang-
es to those policies and procedures. This includes
screening 9-1-1 calls for alternative, simultaneous
and secondary responses, as well as coordinating
with the A-Team on scene during simultaneous and
secondary responses. Officers are encouraged to
ask questions, raise concerns, and suggest improve-
ments to their command staff.
Communication procedures:
• Law Enforcement <-> 911: Law enforcement will
continue to communicate with 9-1-1 dispatchers
via radio following standard procedures.
• Clinical Supervisors/Dispatch Coordinators <->
911: A-Team Clinical Supervisors, Dispatch Coor-
dinators and 9-1-1 dispatchers will communicate
via mobile phone.
• Law enforcement and the A-Team BHFRs will com-
municate on scene.
• For on-scene coordination or information sharing,
law enforcement can connect with the A-Team’s
Clinical Supervisor or with 9-1-1 dispatchers.
8.  Steps for Implementing Alternative Response
in a New Municipality
Before launch: Two months before the desired launch
date, DHS Project Manager and A-Team Director will
meet with municipal officials and police management
to onboard stakeholders and explore any unique
needs that must be addressed for a successful Al-
ternative Response program. A training schedule for
law enforcement will be determined based on roll call
times and the number of command staff and officers.
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WINTER 2024 BULLETIN