The Devereux Foundation

Orange County Florida Behavioral Response Unit Co-responder Program - the Behavioral Response Unit (BRU) Is a Partnership Between Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office That Pairs Specially Trained Law Enforcement Officers With Clinicians to Rapidly Respond to Mental Health Crisis Situations in the Community. as Community Members Reach Out to 9-1-1 in Orange County, Florida, Dispatch and First Responders Can Request the Behavioral Response Unit to Assist With Calls for Services That Involve Individuals Experiencing Mental Health Distress and Challenges. the Behavioral Response Unit Teams Consist of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Trained Deputy and a Mental Health Therapist/clinical Social Worker. Responses Take Place in the Community Where the Individual Is Experiencing the Mental Health Crisis and Are Available to All Residents of Orange County. the Cit Deputy and Clinician Teams Work Together to Provide a Trauma Informed and Supportive Approach to Calls for Service Through a Relationship-based Connection to Help Each Individual With Their Specific Needs. Following the Initial Crisis Intervention, the Behavioral Response Unit Teams Develop Individualized Service Plans to Address the Needs and Concerns for Each Individual. This Will Include Advocacy, Service Connection, Life Skills, and Therapeutic Processing. They Will Provide Referrals for Long Term Services as Well as Coordinate Care With Family Members, Natural Supports, and Established Providers. the Teams Will Monitor the Individual’s Progress and Evaluate the Appropriateness and Effectiveness of Services Put in Place Through Follow Up Contacts. Orange County, Florida Is the Fifth Most Populous County in Florida With a Population of 1.4 Million Residents. Annually, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Responds to 8,000 Calls for Service, About 22 Calls Per Day, Involving Individuals Experiencing Mental Health Crises. Since Inception in 2021, There Have Been Nearly 6,000 Calls for Service and Follow Up for the Bru Teams. the Current Three Bru Teams Have Been Able to Serve an Average of 100 Calls Per Month. Further Funding Would Provide Two Additional Teams to the Unit, Significantly Increasing the Number Served Per Month. the Teams Have a Stabilization Rate of 86%, Meaning the Individual Served Remained in a Community Setting After the Intervention Avoiding Arrest or Hospitalization. Expanding the Bru Should Be Able to Serve Roughly 1,600 Calls Annually – Approximately 6,600 Calls Over the Lifetime of the Grant. Goals Throughout the Term of the Grant Would Be to Maintain or Increase the Current Rate of Stabilization and Increase the Number of Individuals Served. Comprehensive Support and Interventions Are Critical to Address the Complex and Varied Needs of Individuals Served in This Program. the Project Will Provide Rapid Response to Individuals in the Community Who Have Accessed 9-1-1 for Support. the Behavioral Response Unit Deputies Will Assist With Securing the Scene, Individual and Civilian Clinician Are Safe at All Times While the Clinician Conducts Thorough Assessment and Evaluation of the Individual’s Strengths, Needs, Trauma Symptoms and Behaviors. the Behavioral Response Unit’s Teams Will Identify and Reduce the Risk of Harm to Individuals With Mental Illness by Ensuring Professionally Trained and Experienced Deputies and Clinicians Respond to Provide a Person-centered Assessment in a Community-based Setting. the Teams Aim to Reduce the Arrest and Baker Act Cycle That Many People Living With Mental Illness Experience by Working Together to Increase Individual Strengths Through Connection to Services and Supports While Reducing Risks for Arrests And/or Hospitalizations Due to Their Mental Illness.