Palm Springs police speak with a resident of an encampment in a wash off Gene Autry Trail. Under a program approved by the City Council Thursday, a clinical therapist will now join an officer in some instances.
Palm Springs is launching a Community Behavioral Assessment Team to handle addiction and mental health-related calls. The initiative is funded by money from the opioid settlement.
The city council gave the green light to partner with Riverside University Health System for the project on Thursday. The team will consist of a clinical therapist working alongside a police officer. The program has a budget of $140,000 per year from the city’s opioid settlement funds and is set to run for three years.
Deputy City Manager Flinn Fagg explained that the approach is based on similar programs in Riverside and Indio. Palm Springs officials believe it’s the most effective way to use the opioid settlement money to address local needs.
“This is a program that has been used by the city of Riverside,” he told councilmembers. “Locally, the city of Indio has been engaged with Riverside University Health System in offering this approach based on the issues that we have here in the community. We felt like this would be the best use of our opioid funding.”
Palm Springs has received $324,000 in opioid settlement funds so far and will continue to receive payments through 2038. A workgroup including representatives from the police department, fire department, and housing and community development has been researching how best to use these funds.
The city has also consulted with local health organizations about their strategies for dealing with addiction and opioid use before finalizing the behavioral assessment team proposal.
While the agreement with Riverside University Health System is structured in one-year intervals, the funding for the clinical therapist position is guaranteed for three years. City staff will monitor the program’s effectiveness to guide future decisions.
The city is also exploring other ways to use the remaining settlement funds. Ideas under consideration include stipends to help people stay in rehab facilities, rental assistance for sober living facilities, and education programs.
DAP Health has requested some funding for a harm reduction program. City officials say they have enough funds to support this alongside the new behavioral health team.