ARETGroup

Law enforcement agencies are increasingly on the front lines of behavioral health crises. Teams like co-responders, CIT units, and crisis intervention specialists are responsible for bridging the gaps between public safety and behavioral health in the community—but the complexity of their work often goes unsupported even with the right tools. This article will identify some of the core reasons we believe law enforcement agencies need to be equipped with case management solutions that are specialized for community response.

#1: Mission-Critical Impact

Without dedicated case management solutions, critical data can get lost in spreadsheets, email threads, and siloed systems that do not collaborate. This inefficiency impacts three mission-critical emergency response areas:

1. Coordination: Teams struggle to share real-time information between crisis response and law enforcement. Behavioral health providers, schools, and community programs.
2. Accountability: Reporting for compliance and delivery of performance metrics can be prone to error.
3. Observations: Timely observations in the field are not available when needed. Investigations and initiatives aimed rely on retrievable field contact notes. 

#2 Data Integration

Many law enforcement agencies are cautious about integrating community response data, including behavioral health observations, into existing systems like CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) or RMS (Records Management Systems). If there are concerns about privacy, compliance, and data misuse, a detached community response case management system offers several advantages:

·         Data Segmentation: Ensures that sensitive information related to behavioral health, homelessness, and diversion are stored independently- not directly integrated in traditional law enforcement data. 

·         Privacy: A new platform allows agencies to set different access, administrative oversight,  information controls standards.  

·         Compliance: In addition to meeting national public safety compliance standards, some case management systems also adhere to confidentiality standards such as HIPAA and POC2 for public health and educational agencies. 

#3 Workflow

Community response teams operate with a distinct workflow compared to typical patrol units, focusing on addressing behavioral health crises, de-escalating, and connecting individuals to appropriate resources. These teams often collaborate with mental health professionals, educational agencies, and community organizations, that prioritize prevention and intervention over enforcement. Staff need to take a specialized approach that requires tailored strategies, tools, and data systems that effectively manage cases.

• Validated Assessments: Community response teams work with the specific forms and screening tools. 
• Streamlined Workflow: Teams need to manage referrals and calls originating from various community sources, including self-initiated follow-up.
• Seamless Collaboration: Community response requires collaboration. Secure information sharing across agencies and stakeholders happens in real time. Each interaction should be thoroughly documented. .
• Data-Driven Insights: If your team is recording information on harddrives and spreadsheets, you may be missing critical decision-making information in the field. 

#4 Cost Impact of Coordinated Care

A significant portion of law enforcement interactions involves individuals with recurring needs. Case management solutions enables officers to coordinate with community partners to break cycles of crisis by:

• Connecting individuals to mental health or substance abuse treatment services.
• Monitoring progress through shared data platforms.
• Ensuring follow-up care to reduce repeat calls for service.

Equipping your community response team with case management services is associated with increased rates of referral and diversion from arrest and hospitalization. 

#5 Building Trust and Strengthening Community Relationships

A transparent and coordinated response to social issues helps build trust between law enforcement and the community. Case management solutions empower agencies to demonstrate their commitment to holistic, person-centered solutions, which can lead to increased public confidence in law enforcement. When one can return to the conversation and recall simple facts about an individual, they are more likely to get a positive response. 

Conclusions

The demand for behavioral health collaboration in public safety is a growing field, in which federal grants are increasingly prioritizing data-driven accountability. Agencies that embrace case management solutions today are better positioned to secure funding, improve service delivery, and build trust with their communities.