The Mental Health Field Response Teams Program aims to incorporate more mental health professionals into law enforcement agencies to help respond to mental health crises.
Applications must provide a plan for improving mental health field response and diversion from incarceration through modifying or expanding law enforcement practices in partnership with mental health professionals. A mental health professional may assist patrolling law enforcement officers either in the field or in an on-call capacity. The mental health professional may also provide preventive, follow-up, training on mental health field response best practices, or other services at the direction of the local law enforcement agency.
The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) is especially interested in programs which have mental health professionals who are trained in crisis intervention immediately available to officers or to respond in person when called
Two or more agencies may submit a joint grant proposal to develop their mental health field response proposals. Joint proposals must identify and select one lead agency to serve as a project managing agency in the implementation of their proposal. The Lead Agency will retain responsibility for the overall project administration, including fiduciary responsibilities and oversight.