THIS IS A TEST.
DOES MY HEAD ROOM LOOK OKAY, AND
DO I LOOK CENTERED?
OKAY.
THANK YOU.
YEP.
THAT REALLY DARK STUFF.
>>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY,"
I'M MARISA WOJCIK, PBS
JOURNALIST WITH "HERE & NOW" ON
PBS WISCONSIN.
TODAY IS SEPTEMBER 1.
THE CITY OF MADISON IS LAUNCHING
ITS FIRST UNARMED PROGRAM CALLED
ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE EMERGENCY
SERVICES TO RESPOND TO HEALTH
RELATED CALLS RATHER THAN THE
POLICE.
JOINING US TODAY TO EXPLAIN HOW
IT WORKS IS CHÉ STEDMAN, CHIEF
ASSISTANT OF THE MADISON FIRE
DEPARTMENT.
HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE TODAY.
>> HAPPY TO BE HERE.
>> JUST TO START, HOW DOES THIS
NEW PROGRAM EMBEDDED WITHIN THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT INSTEAD OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT WORK?
>> YEAH.
SO IT IS A 911 SERVICE, SO ANY
EMS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OR FIRE
RELATED CALLS THAT COME THROUGH
911 ALL GET TRIAGED TO THE
APPROPRIATE RESOURCE, RIGHT, AS
THAT SYSTEM WORKS.
THIS IS JUST AN EXTRA RESOURCE,
AND THIS PARTICULAR TEAM HAS A
COMMUNITY PARAMEDIC FROM THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A CRISIS
WORKER FROM JOURNEY MENTAL
HEALTH THAT CAN RESPOND TO
NONVIOLENT BEHAVIOR HEALTH
RELATED EMERGENCIES COMING
THROUGH THE 911 CENTER.
>> AND SO HOW DO YOU DECIDE IF A
CALL IS ANSWERED BY THIS TEAM OR
BY POLICE, ESPECIALLY IF TIME IS
OF THE ESSENCE?
>> YEAH.
SO THE 911 DISPATCHERS AND THE
CALL TAKERS IN THE 911 CENTER
ARE INTEGRAL TO THIS AND HAVE
DONE A LOT OF TRAINING AROUND
IT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE
ALREADY DONE.
THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF THE
QUESTIONS THEY NEED TO ASK THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLING 911 AND
TO SEND THE RIGHT RESOURCE.
THEY HAVE DONE THAT FOR DECADES
AND DECADES.
NOW THEY JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE
THIS TEAM FOLLOWS A PARTICULAR
SET OF PROTOCOL QUESTIONS, SUCH
AS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
GOING ON, IS THERE DANGER
INVOLVED?
WEAPONED INVOLVED?
SOMEBODY ON SCENE BEING VIOLENT?
IF ANY OF THE QUESTIONS ARE
ANSWERED TO THE NECESSITY OF
HAVING LAW ENFORCEMENT THERE
BECAUSE OF SOME SORT OF VIOLENT
SITUATION GOING ON, THEN LAW
ENFORCEMENT WILL STILL BE SENT
IN FIRST TO MAKE SURE THAT SCENE
IS SAFE.
IF THE INFORMATION FROM THE 911
CALLER IS THAT, YES, THIS IS A,
YOU KNOW, A SAFE SITUATION, BUT
THERE IS SOMEBODY HAVING A
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EMERGENCY,
THEN THEY SEND THE CRISIS
RESPONSE TEAM, OR CARES TEAM,
DIRECTLY TO THE SCENE.
THE 911 CENTER IS A VERY
IMPORTANT PARTNER IN THIS, AND
IT IS REALLY THEM STILL DOING
THE SAME JOB THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE
WITH JUST EXTRA RESOURCES
AVAILABLE TO THEM.
>> AND WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE
FIRST RESPONDERS, THIS TEAM OF
TWO, DOING WHEN THEY RESPOND TO
A SCENE?
>> YEAH.
SO, FORTUNATELY, THE INFORMATION
FROM THE 911 CENTER AND THE
QUESTIONS WE'RE ASKED THERE ALL
GET LOADED INTO A COMPUTER AIDED
DISPATCH SYSTEM, AND SO ALL OF
THAT INFORMATION SHOWS UP ON A
COMPUTER THAT THE RESPONDERS
HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM SO THEY
CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT THE
INFORMATION IS, KIND OF KNOW
WHAT THEY ARE WALKING INTO, AND
THEIR JOB REALLY IS TO INITIALLY
DEESCALATE THE SITUATION AND
MAKE SURE THAT THEY PROVIDE AN
APPROPRIATE INTERVENTION, AND
WHETHER THAT'S A BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH INTERVENTION ON THE PART
OF THE JOURNEY CRISIS WORKER OR
SOME SORT OF MEDICAL ASSESSMENT
BY THE MEDICAL PARAMEDIC, THOSE
FOLKS AT THE SCENE CAN MAKE THE
DECISION, WHICH PROTOCOLS TO
FOLLOW, WHICH INTERVENTION IS
MOST APPROPRIATE, AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY, WITH PROGRAMS LIKE
THIS AROUND THE COUNTRY, WE FIND
PEOPLE IN SOME SORT OF MENTAL
HEALTH CRISIS OR BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH CRISIS, THEY TEND TO NOT
WANT TO SEE FOLKS WALKING IN
WITH GUNS, RIGHT, AND SO NO
MATTER HOW GOOD LAW ENFORCEMENT
IS AT THEIR JOB, NO MATTER HOW
GOOD THEY ARE AT DEESCALATING
THE SCENE, JUST THE PRESENCE OF
A UNIFORM AND A GUN ON THEM CAN
EXACERBATE THE SITUATION.
THESE ARE NOT IN FORMAL
UNIFORMS, NOT RESPONDING IN
LIGHTS AND SIRENS AND A BIG FIRE
TRUCK.
WE HOPE INITIAL DEESCALATION IS
POSSIBLE.
AFTER THIS, IT IS ABOUT
PROVIDING THE APPROPRIATE
INTERVENTION CORE WITH THE
PERSON AT THAT TIME, AND EVEN
THEN REFERRING THEM TO THE
APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH
RESOURCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY
SO WE CAN WORK WITH THEM ON
SCENE BUT ALSO DRIVE THEM TO THE
APPROPRIATE FACILITY SPECIFIC TO
THEIR NEEDS.
>> AND SO IF IT IS NEEDED, WILL
THERE BE A POSSIBILITY OF, IN
SOME CASES, OFFICERS INTERVENING
AFTER THE TEAM OF TWO OF MENTAL
HEALTH RESPONDERS GET TO THE
SCENE AND MAYBE THINGS CHANGE?
>> YEAH.
CERTAINLILY.
IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO DEESCALATE
THE SITUATION OR ANY SENSE THERE
IS SOMETHING ILLEGAL GOING ON,
THEN, OF COURSE, LAW ENFORCEMENT
RESOURCES WOULD NEED TO BE
BROUGHT IN, BUT THE INTENT OF
THE TEAM IS TO NOT HAVE THESE
PEOPLE THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE
PATIENTS, RIGHT, THAT NEED MORE
HELP ON THE MEDICAL SIDE OF
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND HOPEFULLY
KEEPING THEM OUT OF THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT WORLD IN GENERAL, IF
THEY ARE NOT NEEDED THERE, THESE
FOLKS DON'T NEED TO BE CONTACTED
AND SET DOWN A PATH TOWARDS JAIL
WHEN THE PATH REALLY THAT'S
GOING TO HELP THEM IS TOWARDS A
MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTION SO AT
ANY POINT, A LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN
CALL THIS TEAM AND HAVE THEM
COME IN.
THIS TEAM CAN CALL LAW
ENFORCEMENT, HAVE THEM COME IN,
AND IT IS THE SAME ON THE
MEDICAL SIDE.
IF THE PARAMEDICS ARE VISITING
WITH SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T HAVE
AN ACUTE MEDICAL PROBLEM, BUT
THEY HAVE SOMETHING MORE
LOW-LEVEL THAT'S ALSO A
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUE, THE
PARAMEDICS IN THE FIELD CAN CALL
THE CARES TEAM TO COME IN AND
MAKE THAT INTERVENTION SO THAT
THE PERSON CAN HAVE A CONTINUUM
OF CARE THAT'S BETTER THAN THE
PARAMEDICS SAYING, WELL, YOU
DON'T NEED A TRANSPORT TO THE
HOSPITAL, WE ARE LEAVING,
GOOD-BYE, HAVE A GOOD DAY,
RIGHT?
WE OFFER THIS EXTRA CARE THAT
TAKES THE PERSON DOWNSTREAM, AND
GIVES THEM A WARM HANDOFF TO THE
APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH
PROVIDER AND HAVE THAT REFERRAL
TAKE THE PERSON TO WHERE THEY
NEED TO BE.
>> WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS OF
BRINGING THIS TO MADISON, AND IS
THE MODEL YOU USE BASED ON
PROGRAMS ALREADY PUT INTO
PRACTICE IN OTHER CITIES?
>> YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE
OTHER MODELS HERE AT THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT FOR A GOOD FOUR OR
FIVE YEARS.
SPECIFICALLY, THE MODELS WE
RESEARCHED THE MOST WAS IN
EUGENE, OREGON AND THE STAR
PROGRAM IN DENVER.
THERE'S QUITE A FEW AROUND THE
COUNTRY AS WELL OPERATING
SUCCESSFULLY SO THE IMPETUS WAS
ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THE PROGRAMS
ARE EFFECTIVE, WE FINALLY GOT
MONEY IN THE BUDGET THIS LAST
YEAR.
ONE OF OUR CITY ALDERS, ALDER
MARTIN, WAS BIG IN THE INITIAL
START, TALKING WITH CHIEF DAVIS
LAST YEAR, AND SUPPORT FROM THE
MAYOR'S OFFICE AND COMMON
COUNCIL, AN THEY WERE ABLE TO
BUDGET APPROXIMATELY HALF A
MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE TEAM
ANNUALLY, AND THE HOPE AND
VISION OF THE TEAM IS THEY WILL
BE ABLE TO GROW.
RIGHT NOW, OUR LITTLE PILOT
PROGRAM THAT WE'RE RUNNING IS
JUST RUN IN THE CENTRAL POLICE
DISTRIBUTE OF THE CITY OF
MADISON FROM THE RIVER TO PARK
STREET, AND WE ARE ONLY RUNNING
IT MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM
11:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M. AND SO
THE VISION IS TO HAVE A TEAM
THAT WORKS 24/7 THROUGHOUT THE
WHOLE CITY AND EVENTUALLY,
HOPEFULLY, THE WHOLE COUNTY,
BUT, YES, RESEARCHING OTHER
PROGRAMS WERE KEY AND GIVE US
GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT THE RIGHT
THINGS TO DO, THING WE SHOULDN'T
DO, HOW TO EVAL-- EVALUATE THE
PROGRAM OVER TIME USING DATA,
AND SO THE OTHER PROGRAMS
SUCCESSFUL OUT THERE HAVE BEEN A
GREAT HELP.
>> CITY DATA SAYS THAT MADISON
RECEIVES ROUGHLY 7,000 MENTAL
HEALTH RELATED CALLS PER YEAR,
20 CALLS PER DAY, AND PRIMARILY
ANSWERED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WOULD THIS PROGRAM BE AIMED AT
ALLEVIATING SOME OF THAT STRESS
ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND IS IT
ALSO MEANT TO PREVENT
UNNECESSARY INJURY OR DEATH TO
SOMEONE WHO NEEDS MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES BY A POLICE OFFICER, AS
WE HAVE SEEN IN A LOT OF MEDIA
REPORTS OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A
HALF.
>> YEAH.
SO THERE'S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE
A REDUCTION IN STRESS ON LAW
ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE OF THIS, AND
THAT'S KIND OF A SIDE EFFECT OF
US TAKING OVER SOME OF THESE
CALLS FOR THEM, AND SO THE HOPE
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOK AT
HARM REDUCTION STUDIES AND THE
RIGHT PATH FOR PEOPLE, WE HOPE
TO, YOU KNOW, DIVERT PEOPLE FROM
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND
HOPE TO DIVERT PEOPLE TO
EMERGENCY ROOMS TOO BECAUSE THE
HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS CAN BE
OVERWHELMED WITH FOLKS WHO DON'T
NECESSARILY NEED EMERGENCY ROOM
SERVICES, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE
ARE LOOKING AT JUST MAKING OUR
WHOLE 911 SYSTEM MORE
APPROPRIATE.
IT RELIEVES STRESS ON THE FOLKS
WHO DON'T NEED TO BE A PART OF
THE SITUATION, AND, REALLY, WE
WANT TO BE PATIENT CENTERED.
WE WANT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT,
PROVIDE THE RIGHT INTERVENTION
AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR FOLKS IN
BEHAVIOR HEALTH CRISIS THAT
DON'T NEED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
DON'T NEED EMERGENCY HELP.
>> HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM
CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAMS OR
HAVING MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS
THAT ARE PART OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
TEAMS?
>> YEAH.
IT IS SIMILAR.
THE BIG KEY HERE IS THAT WE ARE
TRYING TO BRING A TEAM THAT
DOESN'T HAVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER, AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS AROUND SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, IS THIS TEAM GOING TO
BE SAFE?
YOU KNOW, HOW CAN YOU ASSURE
THEIR SAFETY?
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, IN GENERAL,
RESPONDS TO A LOT OF CALLS ON
OUR OWN, AND WHEN WE COME TO A
SCENE AND RECOGNIZE AN ELEMENT
OF DANGER OR ANYTHING ELSE, WE
ARE TRAINED TO DEESCALATE AS
BEST WE CAN OUT OF THE SCENE AND
CALL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKUP.
THAT'S HOW THE TEAM IS TRAINED.
THAT'S WHY THERE'S A FIRE
PARAMEDIC PERSONNEL ON THE TEAM
SO THERE'S AN UMBRELLA OF SAFETY
AROUND THE TEAM WHEN NEEDED, BUT
LOOKING, AGAIN, AT THE OTHER
PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY, WE
FIND WHEN THE 911 CENTER DOES
THE JOB APPROPRIATELY AND
SENDING THE TEAM INTO A
SITUATION THAT IS SAFE AS THEY
CAN TELL THAT IT IS THROUGH THE
911 CALL, THAT DOING THIS
WITHOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD
BE A GOOD MODEL, BUT WE ALWAYS
HAVE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT BACKUP
IF NEEDED, AND BECAUSE THAT
PARAMEDIC IS THERE, THEIR RADIO
AND SAFETY TRAINING THEY HAVE
AND DEESCALATION TRAINING, WE
EXPECT THAT THIS TEAM WILL
HOPEFULLY BE SAFE, AND BE ABLE
TO OPERATE IN A MANNER THAT WILL
REALLY, TRULY HELP OUR PATIENTS.
>> WHILE YOU HELPED TO WORK
IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM, WHAT DID
YOU HEAR FROM PUBLIC INPUT, AND
HOW IS IT SPECIFICALLY TAILORED
TO THE MADISON AREA AND MADISON
NEEDS?
>> GREAT QUESTION.
WE DID QUITE A FEW LISTENING
SESSIONS.
WE TALKED WITH NOT ONLY
COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT MENTAL
HEALTH PROVIDERS IN THE AREA,
AND WE TALKED WITH THE
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES BECAUSE THEY ARE
KIND OF IN OUR JURY DICTION AS
WELL.
WE SPENT THE FEW MONTHS BEFORE
WE WENT LIVE REALLY GETTING OUT
AND TALKING WITH FOLKS ABOUT
WHAT THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITY ARE
AND WHAT BEST PRACTICES WERE
ACCORDING TO PROVIDERS, AND, YOU
KNOW, EVERY STATE AND EVERY CITY
HAS DIFFERENT STATE STATUTES AND
ORDNANCES, AND SO THERE ARE
THINGS DONE IN EUGENE, OREGON
THAT WE CAN'T DO HERE.
FOR INSTANCE, AROUND EMERGENCY
DETENTIONS AND SOMETHING LAW
ENFORCEMENT HAS TO BE INVOLVED
WITH IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN
BY STATUTE.
IF SOMEBODY NEEDED TO BE PUT IN
CUSTODY AND PROTECTIVE CUSTODY
UNDER EMERGENCY DETENTION, WE
HAVE TO HAVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICER ON SCENE.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE CITY
OF MADISON AND DANE COUNTY IN
GENERAL IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF
RESOURCES.
YOU KNOW, SOCIAL SERVICES ARE
STRONG HERE.
THE ONE THING WE ARE MOSTLY
HOPEFUL ABOUT IS THAT WE REALLY
BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE
TO TAKE THE SITUATIONS THAT WE
ENCOUNTER AND CONNECT THOSE
FOLKS WITH SOME SORT OF SERVICE
THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THEM,
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE VERY
THOUGHTFUL IN MAKING SURE THAT
OUR TEAM WAS DIVERSE.
WE ACTUALLY EXTENDED OUT THE
HIRING PROCESS FOR THE COMMUNITY
PARAMEDICS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO
SEE, HOPEFULLY, PEOPLE OF COLOR
APPLYING, AND WE WERE FORTUNATE
IN GETTING BILINGUAL SPANISH
SPEAKER AS ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY
PARAMEDICS, AND BOTH OF THE
JOURNEY CRISIS WORKER IDENTIFY
AS PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND SO THAT
WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US TO MAKE
SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A
TEAM THAT REPRESENTED THE
COMMUNITY, THAT WAS SOME OF THE
FEEDBACK THAT WE HAD GOTTEN, AND
OTHER FEEDBACK FROM THE
COMMUNITY WAS DON'T SHOW UP WITH
BADGES AND UNIFORMS ON LOOKING
INTIMIDATING, SO WE DECIDED TO
PUT THEM IN CIVILIAN-TYPE
CLOTHING, AND WE GAVE THEM A LOT
OF DEESCALATION TRAINING, A LOT
OF EXTRA CRISIS RESPONSE
TRAINING THAT COMMUNITY
PARAMEDICS NEEDED.
AS 911 PARAMEDICS, WE DON'T HAVE
TRAINING AROUND MENTAL HEALTH
RESPONSE IN THE BASIC PARAMEDIC
CLASS SO WE SENT THEM TO A
40-HOUR CLASS, CRISIS
INTERVENTION TRAINING THAT IS A
NATIONALLY CERTIFIED COURSE AND
SENT THEM FOR DEESCALATION
TRAINING AND MOTIVATIONAL
TRAINING, AND OTHERS DESIGNED
AROUND MENTAL HEALTH, AND THE
JOURNEY CRISIS WORKERS ARE
MASTERS AND BRING A LOT OF THE
EXPERTISE TO THE TEAM AS WELL.
DEPENDENTING ON WHAT COUNTY AND
CITY YOU'RE IN, TEAMS MAY LOOK
DIFFERENT, BUT WE DID OUR BEST
TO MODEL OURSELVES OVER THOSE
BEST PRACTICES.
>> SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T WANT
TO CALL POLICE OFFICERS IN A
CERTAIN SITUATION FEARING THE
RAMIFICATIONS OF MAKING THAT
CALL.
WILL THIS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO
REACH OUT FOR EMERGENCY
ASSISTANCE THAT MIGHT NOT
NORMALLY OTHERWISE?
>> I SURE HOPE SO.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DONE OUR BEST
TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT THERE
ABOUT THIS TEAM.
IF FOLKS ARE NERVOUS ABOUT
CALLING 911 BECAUSE OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
SHOWING UP AT THEIR HOME, THAT'S
UNFORTUNATE.
I PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE
WORKED WITH OUR POLICE
DEPARTMENT HERE IN MADISON FOR
25 YEARS AND HAVE FAITH THEY DO
THE RIGHT THING, AND THEY HAVE
BEEN SPECIALLY TRAINED TO HANDLE
MENTAL HEALTH CALLS, BUT I
CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHY FOLKS
DON'T LIKE SOMEBODY WEARING A
GUN WALKING THROUGH THEIR DOOR
IN THESE SITUATIONS, AND SO, YOU
KNOW, I HOPE THAT AS THIS TEAM
SHOWS SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT FEW
MONTHS AND WE COLLECT DATA
SHOWING THAT PATIENT
SATISFACTION IS THERE AND WE'RE
REALLY HELPING PEOPLE, WE'LL GET
MORE FUNDING TO EXPAND THE TEAM
OUT AND PROVIDE THESE SERVICES
TO THE ENTIRETY OF DANE COUNTY
AND THE MORE THIS TEAM RESPONDS
TO THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS
AND KEEP LAW ENFORCEMENT DOING
THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO ON
THE LAW SIDE OF THINGS, I THINK
IT'LL JUST WORK OUT BEST FOR
EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY.
>> NOW, IT'S WORTH NOTING TODAY
IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE PILOT
PROGRAM, SO WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT
TERM GOALS, LONG-TERM GOALS, AND
HOW ARE YOU MEASURING SUCCESS?
>> YEAH.
GREAT QUESTION.
YES.
YOU TIMED THIS INTERVIEW VERY
GOOD TODAY.
WE JUST STARTED AT 11:00 A.M.
TODAY FOR THE VERY FIRST DAY.
SO THE MEASURING SUCCESS IS A
TOUGH ONE.
IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK,
RIGHT?
IF WE'RE BEING AS PATIENT
CENTERED AS POSSIBLE, IT IS
ABOUT GETTING PATIENT
SATISFACTION SURVEYS AND
FOLLOWING PEOPLE DOWNSTREAM
THROUGH THE REFERRAL TO MAKE
SURE THEY ENGAGE IN THE
SERVICES.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE EVALUATION
CRITERIA FROM THE OTHER
SUCCESSFUL TEAMS, IT WAS THINGS
LIKE A FEWER CALLS TO THAT THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO,
A FEWER PEOPLE SENT TO EMERGENCY
ROOMS AND JAILS BECAUSE OF
CRISIS RESPONSES, AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY, PATIENT
SATISFACTION AROUND THE
TREATMENT THEY RECEIVED SO WE
HAVE DATA ANALYST ASSIGNED TO US
FROM THE CITY OF MADISON THAT'S
PULLING ALL PATIENT CARE REPORTS
BOTH FROM JOURNEY MENTAL HEALTH
AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT LOOKING
AT ALL THE DATA, ACCUMULATING
EVERYTHING THEY CAN GET TOGETHER
AND PRESENT THAT TO THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND TO
HAVE THEM EVALUATE IT AND LET US
KNOW IF WE SHOULD SHIFT
DIRECTIONS OR NOT.
SHORT TERM, MY GOAL IS TO KEEP
OUR TEAMS SAFE, KEEP THEM
RESPONDING IN HELPING PEOPLE,
AND LONG TERM IT'S GOING TO BE
LIKELY FIGHTING FOR MONEY TO
EXPAND OUR TEAM.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE IT THERE, CHÉ STEDMAN,
ASSISTANT CHIEF OF MEDICAL
AFFAIRS WITH THE CITY OF MADISON
FIRE DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU, GOOD
LUCK WITH YOUR FIRST DAY, AND
KEEP GOING, AND THANK YOU FOR
YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I
APPRECIATE IT.
>> FOR MORE FROM "HERE & NOW"
AND PBS WISCONSIN, YOU CAN VISIT
PBSWISCONSIN.ORG/NEWS, AND THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "
"NOON WEDNESDAY."