The Los Angeles Fire Department has found that situations encountered by frontline clinicians often require a traditional emergency response anyway, and that some mental health emergencies can be handled by police and fire departments. It recommended ending a pilot program testing alternative responses.
“This model had little impact on reducing call volume,” LAFD Deputy Chief Peter Hsiao said in a report to the Fire Commission.
He said that while the premise of using clinicians instead of paramedics is sound in theory, in practice “patients in mental health crises often do not have medical, violence or substance abuse problems. Almost none.”
The fire department did not respond to NBCLA's request for an interview about the report's findings last week, and after Tuesday's Fire Commission meeting, a spokesperson blocked Hsiao from answering questions on camera.
The so-called “therapeutic van” program was announced by former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in October 2020 after massive public demonstrations calling for police reform after the killing of George Floyd.
Garcetti said the van is the first in a series of efforts by the city to remove police from some mental health calls, which will reduce the chance of conflicts escalating to violence. He promised the van would be on the road in January 2021.
The I-Team reported that the program stalled before it began due to difficulties reaching an agreement between the fire department, which would provide the drivers, and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH), which would provide the on-site clinicians.
The vans began responding to calls in early 2022, but did little to provide relief to the city's already stretched emergency crews because of the narrow criteria for calls that allowed clinicians to be used.
The LAFD report states that “DMH personnel did not have the necessary training and therefore were not qualified to perform a medical evaluation or provide emergency medical services.” “This factor created a limitation in responding to 911 calls. This limitation negates any offset relief provided by responding fire resources.”
The fire department is considering several plans individually to increase the number of paramedics on staff, but said funds spent on the van program would be better used for other LAFD programs. Ta.
The city has approved about $4 million for the treatment van pilot program, according to City Council documents.
The Department of Mental Health declined to comment on the LAFD recommendations.
