SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 568
WHEREAS, For the past five years, the Rapid Integrated
Group Healthcare Team Program (RIGHT Care) has proven to be an
effective and humane response to mental health emergencies in the
city of Dallas; and
WHEREAS, Initially developed by the Communities Foundation
of Texas with the assistance of a grant from the W. W. Caruth, Jr.
Fund, RIGHT Care is a partnership of the Dallas Police and
Fire-Rescue Departments, the Meadows Mental Health Policy
Institute, and the Parkland Health and Hospital System; these
organizations work together to shift the response for
behavioral-related 9-1-1 calls away from law enforcement and to
paramedics and health care systems; and
WHEREAS, RIGHT Care seeks to keep those individuals
experiencing mental health crises out of jails and emergency
rooms by responding to each crisis with a team that is specially
trained to de-escalate the situation, stabilize the individual
on the scene, and either direct them to outpatient resources or
transport them directly to a behavioral health facility; and
WHEREAS, Each RIGHT Care team includes a paramedic to
perform a physical examination and a field assessment of the need
for emergency treatment, a behavioral health clinician to
evaluate the individual's mental health and determine their
needs, and a peace officer to oversee the scene and address law
enforcement issues; in addition, the 9-1-1 call center retains a
behavioral health clinician on staff to assist callers
undergoing a mental health crisis, identify the most appropriate
response for the caller, and assist the team in the field; since
its launch as a pilot program in January 2018, RIGHT Care has
grown to encompass several multidisciplinary teams across
Dallas, who answered more than 11,000 behavioral crisis calls in
2021; and
WHEREAS, This innovative and dynamic program helps free
peace officers to make the best use of their time and training
responding to more traditional law enforcement calls, while
providing citizens who are facing mental health crises with
effective and compassionate care from skilled and caring
professionals; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
Legislature, hereby commend the RIGHT Care Program for its
contributions to mental health care in the community and
extend to all those associated with the initiative sincere
best wishes for continued success with their important work;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be
prepared for RIGHT Care as an expression of high regard from the
Texas Senate.
Johnson, West
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 18, 2023.
________________________________
Secretary of the Senate
________________________________
Member, Texas Senate
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Member, Texas Senate