Interlocal mental health response effort renewed

By Lisa Brody

A mental health co-response team shared between the municipalities of Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Auburn Hills has received great positive reviews by the three local police departments, with Birmingham and Bloomfield Township unanimously renewing an amendment to the interlocal agreement at their meetings on Monday, May 23.

The Mental Health Co-Response Team, called CoRE, is partnership between law enforcement and mental health professionals in order to better serve the people in the community suffering from a mental health crisis, Birmingham Police Chief Mark Clemence explained to the Birmingham City Commission in a memo, noting that law enforcement “has and continues to be the primary first responders to people in crisis. With CoRE, a mental health clinician co-responds to crisis calls for service in the field with police officers.”

Bloomfield Township Captain James Gallagher said to date over 350 people have been served in the three jurisdictions along with the dedicated social worker, Hillary Nusbaum. He said the amendment is needed because the first agreement was for one year, which expired May 11. The new agreement will operate without expiration, with the budget being reviewed by each municipality annually.