The Pasadena Police Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health have partnered together to form the  H.O.P.E. team. 

• Partnership between Pasadena Police Department and Los Angeles Department of Mental Health
• Cooperative effort provides a compassionate mental health & law enforcement response team that assists those persons in need of mental health assessment and services.
• Provides alternate care in the least restrictive environment through a comprehensive system wide approach

Currently the Pasadena Police Department has three teams assigned to the Patrol Division  (Ofcr. Bill Shipman & DMH Jim Recio and Ofcr. Victor Cass & DMH Guillermo Vasquez)

HOPE Team Role

• Respond to assist patrol offices in defusing potentially volatile situations through learned crisis intervention techniques

• Respond to homeless or mental health related calls for service – find appropriate resolution/placement

• Assist patrol officers in assessing a person’s need for mental health services

• Take into custody mentally disordered people through less confrontational means

• Arrange transportation to appropriate mental health facility

• Implement detainment/admittance of the WIC 5150 client into the mental health system

• Maintain homeless outreach program

• Identifies chronic or acute disturbances and/or individuals that could best be served through seeking non-arrest solutions

• Provides referrals as part of a long-term approach to better assist the homeless and prevent future calls for service

• Maintains data base of individuals, history, etc. pertinent to continued contact/follow-up

• Maintain liaison with other related agencies, groups and mental health facilities

• Provide department wide training on handling the mentally ill.

Benefits 

• Prevents unnecessary incarceration and/or hospitalization of mentally disordered people

• Frees up patrol officers to handle other calls/return to service sooner

• Protects the community from those who as a result of a mental disorder are a danger to others

 Confidentiality

• Under WIC 5328 all information obtained in the course of providing mental health intervention and evaluation services for voluntary or involuntary clients shall be confidential.

This restricts disclosure of information regarding client’s mental health history, diagnosis, treatment and medication.