Peer-Led Crisis Response Teams Offer Better Approach to Mental Health Emergencies

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This article discusses how specialized crisis response teams comprised of mental health professionals and peers with lived experience can more effectively and safely respond to mental health emergencies compared to traditional police response. The article highlights the success of the CAHOOTS program in Oregon and similar models in San Francisco, which have been able to de-escalate crises without the use of force in the vast majority of cases. The article argues that this approach should be more widely adopted to reduce police killings of individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Why it matters

Mental health crises are often met with a traditional police response, which can escalate situations and lead to tragic outcomes, including the use of deadly force. Peer-led crisis response teams offer a better alternative that is safer for everyone involved and has been shown to have better outcomes, including reduced hospitalizations and arrests. Expanding these types of programs could help prevent unnecessary deaths and improve community trust in crisis response.

The details

The article describes two contrasting incidents involving individuals experiencing mental health crises. In one case, a man named Jabez Chakraborty was shot four times by police after grabbing a knife, while in another case a man named Tyler was able to be de-escalated and given a ride home by a crisis response team in San Francisco without any use of force. The article argues that the vast majority of mental health crises do not actually warrant the use of deadly force, as research shows only 2.2% of such incidents result in serious injury. The article highlights the CAHOOTS program in Oregon, which has operated since 1989 using a two-person team of a medic and crisis worker to respond to mental health calls, with police backup needed in only about 2% of cases. The article also notes that peer-led crisis response teams, which include individuals with lived experience, have been shown to be more effective at building trust and understanding with those in crisis.

• The CAHOOTS program has operated in Eugene and Springfield, Oregon since 1989.
• A 2024 article reviewed 22 studies on first-episode psychosis, finding a 13.4% prevalence of 'any violence' and only a 2.2% chance of 'serious injury'.

What’s next

Federal funding has recently been approved for programs like CAHOOTS, but substantial additional investments at the state and local levels will be needed to expand these types of peer-led crisis response teams to meet demand in many areas.