Tradeoffs
The Fifth Branch: The Last Line of Care
Jan 9, 2025
Ryan Smith, Director of the Durham Community Safety Department, and Sammetta Cutler, a Peer Support Specialist, dive into the innovative HART program. They discuss the urgent need for alternative response teams to tackle crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction. Smith and Cutler reflect on the challenges of linking individuals in distress to long-term care. They emphasize the importance of compassionate intervention and advocate for integrating personal stories into policy discussions to effect change in community safety and support systems.
42:13
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Quick takeaways
- Durham's HART initiative represents a transformative approach to crisis response by prioritizing social workers and EMTs over police to mitigate violence and enhance support.
- Despite responding to 15,000 calls, HART faces challenges in connecting individuals to long-term care, revealing systemic gaps in the social services network.
Deep dives
Redefining Crisis Response
Durham, North Carolina, initiated a significant shift in handling mental health crises by dispatching social workers and EMTs instead of police in response to 911 calls. This initiative, known as HART, aims to reduce police violence against individuals in crisis, born out of the national momentum from Black Lives Matter protests. Over time, the scope of HART has expanded beyond immediate crisis response to encompass long-term care connections, addressing the underlying issues such as mental illness, addiction, and poverty. The team faces substantial challenges in effectively linking individuals to necessary services after the initial response, indicating a gap in the support system.
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