Shreveport agencies are working together to reform the crisis response system with a new Memorandum of Understanding

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The Shreveport Police Department and the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana will be the first agencies to sign a Joint Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) drafted by the Northwest Louisiana Crisis Response Coalition in support of Monday reform the local crisis response system.

According to a press release, the Northwest Louisiana Crisis Response Coalition is a community partnership formed in 2020 by LSU Health Shreveport and the Shreveport Police Department with the mission to develop a community-based mental health crisis response that supports public ensures safety, provides effective treatment, and offers an alternative to arrest or hospitalization where necessary.

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Officials say the need for this partnership stems from the fact that many 911 calls are non-criminal, while law enforcement officers are routinely dispatched to respond, resulting in a potentially harmful mismatch between community needs and resources.

The press release states that national data shows that 53% to 75% of all calls for 911 assistance do not involve a medical crisis or criminal behavior, and therefore have the potential to be resolved with citizen-led support, a crisis response option that individuals can use. with behavioral health needs are preferred. Officials say traditional providers may not be able to provide the type of care needed for these specific conditions. As a result, the outcomes of 911 calls involving behavioral health issues have often resulted in incarceration or hospitalization.

Officials say there were 299,939 emergency calls for help in Caddo Parish in 2023. Each of these calls requires a police or emergency medical services response, but many of these calls do not involve criminal behavior or medical needs, creating a disproportionate burden. in the field of emergency responders and further supporting the need for a mobile crisis response team that can reduce strain on resources and better serve individuals with behavioral health needs.

CADA has been selected to provide mobile crisis response for Region 7, which includes Caddo, Bossier, Bienville, Claiborne, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine and Webster parishes. To promote the use of CADA’s crisis services, LSU Health Shreveport convened the Crisis Response Leadership Summit, led by Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux and LSU Health Shreveport Chancellor Dr. David Guzick, to strengthen the partnership’s commitment to crisis response.

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