The Settlement Agreement between the City of Cleveland and the Department of Justice required that a Mental Health Response Advisory Committee (MHRAC) be developed by the City and the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP).
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Scott S. Osiecki, ADAMHS Board CEO; Nicole A. Carlton, Commissioner of the Division of Emergency Medical Service, Cleveland Department of Public Safety; and the Cleveland Division of Police CIT Coordinator (vacant, but currently being filled by Deputy Chief Joellen O’Neill) serve as Tri-Chairs of this committee that has the following charge:
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Fostering relationships and support between the police, community and mental health providers.
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Identifying problems and developing solutions to improve crisis outcomes.
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Providing guidance to improving, expanding and sustaining the CPD Crisis Intervention Program.
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Conducting a yearly analysis of incidents to determine if the CPD has enough specialized CIT officers, if they are deployed effectively and responding appropriately and recommending changes to policies and procedures regarding training.
There are three subcommittees of the MHRAC and its structure continues to mirror the core elements, process for implementation and the coordination for a successful CIT Program.
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Training Subcommittee: Reviews and makes recommendations for mental health and alcohol or other drug (AOD) training for all Cleveland law enforcement officers and personnel, as well as for the 40-hour specialized Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for officers who volunteer and are approved for the training.
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Community Involvement/Engagement Subcommittee: Fosters relationships between the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) and the community by engaging the behavioral health community, police and the general public in meaningful dialogue that builds knowledge, sensitivity, understanding and trust.
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Quality Improvement Subcommittee: Reviews and discusses the data submitted from the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Stat Sheets and other data sources, and makes recommendations on improving the quality and quantity of data collected, as well as potential changes to policy and procedures based in part on the data review.
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Meeting Schedule
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See upcoming MHRAC meetings below. You can download the list of 2021 meeting dates here.
All meetings of the MHRAC and its subcommittees are open to the public. Please email Clare Rosser, Chief of Strategic Initiatives, if you'd like to be added to the email list.
The United States Department of Justice and the City of Cleveland have entered into an agreement to create widespread reforms and changes within the Cleveland Division of Police.
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The changes focus on building community trust, creating a culture of community and problem-oriented policing, officer safety and training, officer accountability and technological upgrades. In addition, a Mental Health Response Advisory Committee was formed to foster relationships and build support between police, the community and mental health providers. Click here to read the MOU between the City of Cleveland Department of Public Safety and the ADAMHS Board. There will be broad data collection regarding many of CDP’s activities, including its use of force and stop and search practices, and public reporting of that data on this website.
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Under the agreement, the parties have jointly selected an independent monitor to assess and report whether the requirements of the agreement have been implemented for a term of at least five years.
Mental Health Task Force Recommendations for Consent Decree
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The report Mental Health Task Force Recommendations to Insure all Clevelanders with Mental Illness – and All Citizens – are Treated Safely with Dignity and Respect providing recommendations focusing on community involvement, training and collaboration was submitted to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Steven Dettlebach of the U.S. Attorney General’s Office by Members of the Mental Health Task Force convened by the ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County. The Mental Health Task Force was formed to respond to issues pertaining to mental health that were identified in the U.S. Department of Justice Investigation of the Cleveland Division of Police.
Crisis Intervention Team training is a national program designed to assist police officers encountering individuals living with mental illness. CIT is a community-based collaborative between individuals, families, the behavioral health system and mental health treatment providers, law enforcement agencies, advocacy organization and the medical community. Click here to learn more about Cleveland Division of Police CIT.