Pharr PD, Tropical Texas receive $550K grant for mental health unit
PHARR — The City of Pharr Police Department and Tropical Texas Behavioral Health held a news conference Monday to announce that a $550,000 grant from the Department of Justice has been awarded to the Pharr Police Department’s Mental Health Unit.
The grant, which will be spread over a three-year period, will be utilized to help enhance the Pharr Police Department’s Mental Health Unit. The unit is a response team of law enforcement officers and behavioral healthcare professionals for situations involving people with mental illness and those with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.
The Mental Health Unit was created in December 2020 and the department’s partnership with TTBH was a way to help educate officers about how to respond to cases in which a person is experiencing a mental health crisis. The goal of the unit was to improve policing and train officers to respond appropriately to such scenarios without having to resort to excessive use of force or jail time.
“This program has been an effective partnership for our community,” said Pharr Police Chief Andy Harvey. “With the mental health training our officers have received, they can quickly determine when an individ ual is experiencing a mental health crisis, the Unit is able to act swiftly and safely to resolve the situation and get the individual the help they need.”
“The Unit has been a welcome addition to our police force and among our community, and has helped to de-escalate situations and ultimately, save lives,” Harvey added.
The program goal is to reduce and divert individuals with serious mental illness away from jail and connect them to mental health treatment and support services. This program will benefit individuals in crisis who come in contact with law enforcement for misdemeanor offenses determined to be related to the symptoms of their mental illness, who may be appropriate for diversion from the criminal justice system into routine behavioral health care services.
“I’m proud to see the way our Mental Health Unit has grown, and we are thankful for the Department of Justice’s recognition of our efforts and this funding to help us continue to expand our program,” Harvey said.
Story Courtesy City of Pharr