Telegram - Serving Metropolitan Detroit Since 1944

INK.STER, Ml.

The Inkster Police Department is now in partnership with Hegira Health for "Community Outreach and Psychiatric Emergencies Program" or C.O.P.E. and Mobile Crisis Stabilization Team M.C.S.

The Inkster Police Department has entered a partnership with Hegira Programs, Inc. to have them assist our agency with psychiatric emergencies as they pertain to residents of adult foster care facilities (A.F.C. homes) and private residences in the City of lnkster. This new program will allow the Inkster Police Department to contact the C.O.P.E. hotline when a member of our department comes into contact with someone from and A.F.C. home or private residence that is in need of psychiatric care and evaluation. Hegira's "Mobile Crisis Stabilization Team" will then be sent to the location (with the assistance of Inkster P.D.) to assess the situation, triage the need(s) of the patient who is experiencing a "behavioral health crisis" and make the appropriate assessment.

This program shall be used in the event our personnel are dispatched to an A.F.C. home or private residence and a patient at either location has NOT committed any type of crime. If a patient is experiencing a mental or emotional breakdown, refusing to take prescribed medication(s), or is exhibiting behavior that is not conducive to the rules and regulations of the AFC home, the officer(s) will then contact (844)-296-COPE (2673) and advise the call takers of the situation. Our personnel will give the call taker any pertinent information; at which time Hegira will generate a "Request for Service" (R.F.S.) and dispatch their "Mobile Crisis Team" to the location to get the patient started into their psychiatric program. A patient can also be transported to the "Crisis Stabilization Unit" located at 33505 Schoolcraft Livonia, MI. in lieu of the hospital. This is a 24 hour/ 7 days a week operation and can be reached by calling (844)-296-COPE (2673).

Our agency will then make a report on the situation, along with their observations and actions taken. Our officers can now generate a specific "code" in our records management system (RMS) so that our department can properly track the incident and location for future reference. Hegira has also added another facet to their psychiatric intervention program and in doing so, have made available to law enforcement another avenue to pursue if determined that an individual needs psychiatric care. This new program called "Mobile Crisis Stabilization" (M.C.S.) is available for responding officers with "behavioral health calls for service" to include, but not limited to welfare checks, where the person may be exhibiting the onset of a behavioral health issue, those with chronic behavioral health issues, those "seeing or without access" to psychiatric medications and any other situation deemed appropriate by Hegira's intake unit. This program may be used at an A.F.C. home or private residence.

Lastly, this new program is designed to get individuals the help they need with the assistance of law enforcement but are not in imminent danger of hurting themselves or others. Members of the Inkster Police Department are committed to helping those who may not be able to have the means necessary to reach out for help on their own. Our agency, along with Hegira Health have now paved the way to psychiatric stabilization in our community easily accessible.

The Inkster Police Department is proud to be able to offer this service to members of our community as well as our neighboring communities at no cost.