BALCH SPRINGS, Texas — Mental health check-in calls for residents who need them and more access to mental health resources for people who are homeless are coming to east Dallas-Fort Worth after multiple cities combined forces to create the Southeast Alliance Community Care Team Tuesday in Mesquite.
The cities of Balch Springs, Mesquite, Seagoville and Sunnyvale announced the partnership Tuesday in a news conference. City managers and public safety officials from all four cities were in attendance.
The Southeast Alliance Community Care Team is the first program of its kind in east D-FW, focusing on proving proactive and reactive mental health resources in the community.
The program is funded by a $900,000 grant from Dallas County, according to a Monday news release. That money covers the cost of a vehicle and supplies, the salaries for two team members — a social worker and a paramedic — and funding for all four cities involved to train all of their police officers, firefighters and dispatchers in crisis response skills. That additional training is more than what the state requires now.
One team will be on the streets to start, with plans to expand to five teams in the future.
"Hopefully this team will work in less violent situations where police officers can back off and we can put the team to the forefront," said Mesquite City Manager Cliff Keheley.
An estimated 20% of police response calls involve someone with mental health needs — calls where a social worker, instead of an officer, might be a better approach.
"This is something we can no longer put a band-aid on. This is something that's gushing," said Balch Springs City Manager Susan Close. "This is something that has no boundaries. NO age, race, color, it impacts everyone."