Minutes of the Work Session of January 27, 2022
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Meeting Minutes
City Council Work Session
January 27, 2022 | 4:00 p.m.
Council Chambers Conference Room
88 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Vice Mayor Terry Roe at 4:00 p.m.
Roll Call
Council Attendance
Appointee Attendance
*Mayor Kevin Hartke
Josh Wright, City Manager
Vice Mayor Terry Roe
Debra Stapleton, Assistant City Manager
**Councilmember OD Harris
Kelly Schwab, City Attorney
Councilmember René Lopez
Dana DeLong, City Clerk
Councilmember Christine Ellis
Councilmember Orlando
*Mayor Hartke attended telephonically
**Councilmember Harris arrived at 4:38 p.m.
Absent
Councilmember Mark Stewart
Staff in Attendance
Matt Burdick, Communications and Public Affairs Director
Sean Duggan, Police Chief
Tom Dwiggins, Fire Chief
Leah Powell, Neighborhood Resources Director
Riann Balch, Community Resources Manager
Alicia Skupin, Presiding City Magistrate
Ryan Peters, Strategic Initiatives Director
Val Gale, Assistant Fire Chief
Elizabeth Herbet, City Prosecutor
Page 2 of 13
Discussion
1.
Presentation and Discussion of City of Chandler Behavioral Health Response Programs.
VICE MAYOR ROE called for a staff presentation.
JOSHUA WRIGHT, City Manager, introduced the discussion item and said the Council had
discussed it previously at the Strategic Planning Retreat in 2021. Mr. Wright said that the
presentation today would be largely educational, with information from different departments
and their involvement with this issue.
VAL GALE, Assistant Fire Chief, presented the following presentation.
Behavioral Health Response
• Arizona Regional Behavioral Health Care System
o Most AHCCCS (Arizona’s Medicaid System) members receive behavioral care services
through their chosen health care plan instead of from a Regional Behavioral Health
Authority (RBHA)
o The RBHA serves persons who are Title 19 eligible or in crisis
Foster children enrolled in CMDP, including those CMDP members who have a
CRS condition
Members enrolled with DES/DDD
Individuals determined to have a Serious Mental Illness
o RBHA services include but are not limited to:
Mental health counseling
Psychiatric and psychologist services
Opioid Use Disorder and Treatment
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked if the budget that funds the RBHA is solely by the Arizona State
Legislature and the State budget or if there are regional or county funds as well.
CHIEF GALE replied that the federal government funds access through Medicaid, and then it is
Medicaid’s responsibility to fund the RBHAs through proposals and bids. Mercy Care is the local
RBHA which won the bid, and then Mercy Care will partner with nonprofits and for profits to
provide services. There are many organizations involved in this system.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked where the funding sources were coming from.
CHIEF GALE said that as a fire department, it works a little different. He said that he would walk
through one of those calls, as there are some complexities that make it challenging, especially as
they do not bill for those services.
CHIEF GALE continued the presentation.
Page 3 of 13
• Effects on Chandler Departments
o Increased law enforcement contacts
o Increased calls for emergency services
o Increased resident concerns about ability to use public facilities such as parks,
libraries, parking garages, bus shelters and transit centers.
o Challenges cleaning and maintaining public facilities where people without shelter are
camping
o Increased requests for blight removal and environmental clean-up related to homeless
encampments
o Increased justice court involvement
• Chandler Fire Department
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked once someone enters the system, is there a mechanism to get
reimbursement from the state for services provided.
CHIEF GALE said there is work being done on the federal level to work on Medicare and Medicaid
reimbursement for services provided. Currently there is some connection between ambulance
transport and Medicare Medicaid, as well as contracting services with fire departments and
paramedics where the intention is to treat, but not to transport. Currently the Chandler Fire
Department is not involved in that.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked about grants or reimbursements from Mercy Care that fund
mental health service.
CHIEF GALE said he is not aware of any grants from Mercy Care.
CHIEF GALE continued the presentation.
• Chandler Fire Department CR288
o 24/7 Deployable resource through Phx 911 – Auto Dispatch or Special Call by FD or PD
o On scene response by Masters Level Mental Health Professionals – 2 Person response
team
Social Workers, Counselors, or Behavioral Health Practitioners
3 Full Time Staff including Coordinator
8 PT Staff
University Interns 2-6 per semester
Trained Crisis Response Volunteers 20+
o CR288 Program Established in 2004, 1 unit
Over 17-year history of providing evidenced based and Trauma Informed
compassionate stabilization, verbal de-escalation and intervention for all types
of crisis situations within our community
• Chandler Fire Department Complete Crisis Care
o Prevention Activities
Page 4 of 13
Community Outreach / Events
Quarterly Training CIT – Local, Regional, State-Wide, National, and
Internationally. *CFD has a Credentialed CIT Coordinator
Regular Training CST – Curriculum Development and Implantation with
accredited University and Community partnerships. *Taught nearly 6,000 First
responders around the country to date. Included in AZ Fire School
o Intervention Activities
Immediate Response through 911 System – 1,700-1,900 calls annually *Part of
an Automatic / Mutual Aid System
Treat and Refer Behavioral Protocol – ED Diversion
Transport – BH facilities, Advocacy Centers, Shelters, Schools, Churches, etc.
o Postvention Care / Follow Up-
Resource / Referral – In Person, Phone, Mail
Short Term Case Management
Debriefings / Defusing / Community Meetings
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked about the 1,700-1,900 calls received, if it was city-wide or
just Fire Department.
CHIEF GALE responded that the Crisis Response van runs about 2,000 calls a year under the Fire
Department, but they could be dispatched for a Police incident.
CHIEF GALE continued the presentation.
• Chandler Fire Department – CR288 Unit strives to:
o Provide immediate crisis intervention and on-scene victim assistance.
o Provide emotional support, information, and referrals to clients.
o Facilitate communication between clients and the Fire and/or Police Departments.
13:33 Minutes Avg. CR Response Time
46:09 Minutes Avg. CR on Scene Time
Call Stabilization Rate: Actual 94%, Target 80%
• CR288 is part of a larger system of Urgent and Emergent Crisis Care
• CR288 Mental Health Workflow
o Referral Sources
o CR288 Crisis Response Unit
o Client (adult or < 18) not DTS/DTO
o Client (adult or < 15) DTS/DTO CFD Treat and Refer, Behavioral Protocol
o DTS/DTO Voluntary Treatment Outcomes
o DTS/DTO Involuntary Treatment Outcomes
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked about the petition process.
CHIEF GALE explained that the process is to get the Police Department involved.
Page 5 of 13
ELIZABETH HERBERT, City Prosecutor, continued the presentation.
• Prosecutor’s Office and Municipal Court
• Treatment Courts Flow Chart
o The Chandler municipal Court has three treatment courts. We are a part of the East
alley Veterans’ Court which serves several cities. We have our own Mental Health
Court, as well as the Support Court. The Support Court is our newest treatment court,
which was authorized by this City Council.
• East Valley Regional Veterans’ Court
o Veterans’ Court is a collaborative process that includes the prosecutor, defense
counsel, Judge, the Department of Veteran Affairs and other community-based
support organizations. The goal of Veterans’ Court is to rehabilitate and restore
veterans as active, contributing members of their community.
• East Valley Regional Veterans’ Court
o Veterans’ Justice Outreach Social Workers (VJO’s) are the backbone of this program.
o VJO’s connect Veterans with all of the services they qualify for through the VA.
o The prosecutor, defense attorney, judge, and VJO work together to come up with a
treatment plan designed to help the Veteran overcome service-related issues.
• East Valley Regional Veterans’ Court
o The plan can include substance abuse counseling, job training, medications, group
therapy, individual therapy, mental health counseling, inpatient services, and help with
housing.
o VJO’s also help Defendants sign up for and make the most of their VA benefits.
o When Defendants graduate they receive a Challenge Coin from the VA to
commemorate the challenge they faced and overcame.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO brought up that we have 1,700-1,900 calls for mental illness, how
many of those people go through the court system.
MS. HERBERT responded that it is a much lower number than that, but the number fluctuates
over time.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO said when we find someone who needs mental health help, we
either go to a nonprofit agency or if they have a history or record, they go through the court
system.
MS. HERBERT clarified that if they have any charge they go through the courts.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked about the group of people that does not want help—do they
go to the hospital or are they let go.
Page 6 of 13
MS. HERBERT said that from the court’s perspective they will not be part of the court system.
Participation in these courts is voluntary.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked about the number of people released back onto the streets.
MR. WRIGHT stated that they are not in the long-term case management business, so the data is
not necessarily known. In some cases, people may be picked up multiple times.
COUNCILMEMBER ELLIS said that it is hard to know the number of people in this system. The
navigators are involved, and they get to know these people.
VICE MAYOR ROE asked if we are checking to see if people fit into these categories and who is
doing so.
MS. HERBERT said that this is always done. It is different for each court. There is a mechanism to
confirm that veterans are qualified by the VA to participate in the court, as well as who is
qualified to receive services.
MS. HERBERT continued the presentation.
• Mental Health Court
o The purpose of the Chandler Mental Health Court (MHC) is to connect defendants who
are severely mentally ill (SMI) with mental health services with the goal of reducing
recidivism within this vulnerable segment of the population.
o An average of 40 defendants are participating in this program in any given time.
• Mental Health Court
o Defendants each have a case manager with Mercy Maricopa.
o The prosecutor, defense attorney, case manager and judge work together to develop a
treatment plan for the defendant.
o The plan may include substance abuse counseling, job training, medications, group
therapy, individual therapy, mental health counseling, inpatient services, and help with
finding housing and employment.
• Support Court
o Launched December 2021
o Similar to Mental Health Court but includes Homeless Defendants who are not SMI.
o The prosecutor, defense attorney, homeless navigator and the judge work together to
develop a treatment plan for the Defendant.
o The plan can include substance abuse counseling and help with housing and finding
work.
VICE MAYOR ROE said we have three specialty areas, what happens when they do not fit into
one of these specialty areas, but they need help.
Page 7 of 13
MS. HERBERT said that it started out with only severely mentally ill defendants because they are
case managed. Over time, some exceptions have been granted. Outside case managers or
parents can be involved.
VICE MAYOR ROE asked about a caregiver finding themselves in the court as a defendant, would
they be able to work that out through the court.
MS. HERBERT replied that situation has not occurred. Caregivers may be in crisis due to their
situation, in that situation there are services and victim advocates to help them. There has not
been a situation with criminal charges.
JUDGE SKUPIN stated we do have a robust specialty court docket in Chandler because of the
partnerships we have with the prosecutors’ office, Neighborhood Resources, the Police
Department, attorneys, and the court. Other cities do not have the same resources or
cooperation between departments.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ said it was great to reduce recidivism in these programs and asked if
there was escalations or consequences if things get worse.
MS. HERBERT replied that sometimes there are multiple services provided, but someone may
not avail themselves of these services.
RIANN BALCH, Community Resources Manager, continued the presentation.
• Neighborhood Resources Department
• NRD Programs Serving Persons with Mental and Behavioral Health Concerns
o Chandler Connect
o Operation Open Door
o Support Court
o Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)
o Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV)
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked for a definition of unsheltered.
MS. BALCH answered that unsheltered means living without a place meant for human habitation
such as in a car, on the street, or in a park.
MS. BALCH continued the presentation.
• Staff Qualifications, Training, Associations
o Peer Support Certification
o Behavioral Health Technician
o Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training (CPI)
o Casii Psychiatric Assessment
Page 8 of 13
o American Society of Addiction Medicine
o Harm Reduction
o Motivational Interviewing
o Suicide Prevention
• How We Serve Persons with Behavioral Health Concerns
o Person Centered Engagement
o Trauma Informed Care
o Connection to Mental Health and Recovery Services
o Harm Reduction and Motivational Interviewing
o Ongoing Coordination with Community-Based Providers
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked about the engagement with demographics surrounding us, is
there engagement from the tribal community receiving services.
MS. BALCH said that they are engaged with people who live on reservation land in the Chandler
area. They work with Indian Health Services and Native American Connections, to get them
culturally specific services. There has not been success with mainstream services. There is a
relationship with the tribe, however; it is difficult to connect on a consistent basis. They utilize
services in Phoenix providing alternative services.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked for clarification that services are offered to all.
MS. BALCH confirmed that if someone is residing in Chandler, unsheltered, we will serve them.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked about the success rate for Native American individuals
receiving service.
MS. BALCH said she would get that information to the Council.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS requested further information on what is working and how to better
serve this population.
MS. BALCH continued the presentation.
• FY 2021-21 Program Data
o Chandler Connect: 95%
o Operation Open Door: 44%
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked for a demographic report on success rates for people receiving
services.
MAYOR HARTKE said that Chandler is well-respected around the Valley for its initiatives
regarding homelessness and looked forward to seeing the shelter count. Chandler has also been
Page 9 of 13
involved with other cities in Maricopa County that are seeing what resources can be applied to
reduce our numbers. He said many people speak highly of Riann and her team.
SEAN DUGGAN, Police Chief, continued the presentation.
• Chandler Police Department
• Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Program
o CIT training is a specialized 40-hour police curriculum that aims to reduce the risk of
serious injury or death during an emergency interaction between persons with mental
illness and police officers
o CIT improves communication, identifies mental health resources for those in crisis and
helps ensure officer and community safety
o CIT programs create connections between law enforcement, mental health providers,
hospital emergency services and individuals with mental illness and their families
• CIT in Chandler
o Taught regionally in the Phoenix metro area since 2004
o Program expanded significantly in 2014 with the creation of the East Valley CIT
Program Collaboration (Chandler FD CR, Mesa FD CR, Mesa PD, Scottsdale PD, Gilbert
PD, ASU PD, Mercy Care Maricopa County)
o CIT trained officers receive 8 hours of continuing education training a year
o CIT related training provided to all Chandler police officers annually
• Chandler 911 Communication Center Response to Persons Affected by Mental Illness or in
Crisis
o Adjusted dispatching guidelines and implemented call triage protocols in August 2021
o Prior to August 2021, persons affected by mental illness or in crisis (suicidal or
depressed) who call police and are not reporting a criminal incident, not involved in a
criminal situation, not acting violent (no weapons), and do not need medical attention may
be referred to Solari crisis call service
o Officers will continue to be dispatched on all reports of situations involving persons
who display symptoms of serious mental illness or in crisis and/or are a danger to
themselves or others due to the unpredictable nature of those involved.
• Mental Health Related Calls for Service
o Increased 100% from 2015 to 2021
o Increased 3% Suicide Attempt
o Increased 351% Mental Health Related
o Increased 131% Mental Health Pick Up
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked if there is a change in the call out during a mental health related
dispatch where there is violence or crime.
CHIEF DUGGAN explained that it is information for the officer so they can form a plan when they
get there. Whatever information is provided to the officer is helpful and may dictate how they
respond.
Page 10 of 13
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked if they preliminarily engage in a follow-on service that will be on
its way in a case of someone who does not want to leave if there is someone there to assist and
deescalate.
CHIEF DUGGAN answered that their primary role is to prevent injury and keep the peace, by
addressing the behavior first. If there is time and space to slow things down, they will do that
when possible.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked about the next level of training that comes after CIT training.
MR. WRIGHT added that there is a lot of integration and cooperation among City departments.
There is a lot of different resources from all different aspects of the city and a lot of community
partners they rely on. He reiterated that Chandler is not a long-term care provider—that comes
from other levels of government and nonprofits. There are some core services we already
provide that may make us more effective.
JOSH WRIGHT, Acting City Manager, continued the presentation.
• Recommendations / Next Steps
o As resources allow, consider offering other behavioral health resources within City’s
purview which enhance provision of core services to residents:
Behavioral Health Navigator
Police Department Behavioral Health Unit
Embedded Solari crisis counselors in CPD’s 911 Communications Center
• Increase the types of behavioral health service calls diverted to Solari’s
network, rather than Police
• Includes training for officers and call-taker on how the call diversion
program will operate
o Identify training resources for City employees on signs of suicide
o Partnering with CUSD and Compass Church on “BREAKTHROUGH” a free, community-
wide mental health conference focused on adolescents (February 25 and 26, 2022)
o Continue exploring community partnerships
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked if the calls for service were 2,500 or 1,900.
CHIEF DUGGAN said this number is for police only.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked if it was on top of the 1,700 to 1,900 calls for service for the
Fire Department.
Page 11 of 13
CHIEF DUGGAN said there may be some overlap, but they are totally different call systems, so
the previous slide was police only. Some of those calls the Police Department may ask the Crisis
Response team to respond instead, so those would have overlap.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO clarified that the calls for service numbered larger than 2,500,
there is a higher volume handled by Police than by Fire.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked for clarification on the diverted Solari calls.
CHIEF DUGGAN said the number of calls diverted went from five a month to 100, an officer was
not dispatched 100 times a month.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked if they have the data, why don’t they go full time.
CHIEF DUGGAN said this system has been successful in Mesa, and Tempe is doing a 40-hour
beta test. He said they want to try 40 hours a week.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ said if a call comes in reporting violence a police officer will be
dispatched.
CHIEF DUGGAN stated that they will always respond to threats of violence. They must meet very
specific criteria based on the policies in training.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ said he wants to ensure they are having the proper responses and
ensuring that safety is maintained and siding with caution, to keep people safe.
COUNCILMEMBER ELLIS recalled a previous discussion of officers going on mental health issue
calls. She thanked CHIEF DUGGAN for listening to recommendations made. The mental health
crisis needs action. City departments collaborating get the job done well. What is being
discussed as recommendations are evidence-based practice, it can provide results.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked how many specialized officers they were requesting.
CHIEF DUGGAN said four officers and a supervisor.
COUNCILMEMBER ELLIS said that this was a specific specialized unit. She talked about the
region’s police response to behavioral health calls. She requested that a taskforce is trained to
specifically handle mental health situations.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked if this specially trained taskforce would be able to handle
domestic violence cases.
Page 12 of 13
CHIEF DUGGAN answered that this would only be for mental health. Once violence is mitigated,
mental health could be addressed.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked if they have had any unhoused people say they have come to
Chandler because they like our services and we have a success rate, and services were not
available elsewhere.
MS. BALCH said they do not say that.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ asked if they leave because of being asked to get involved.
MS. BALCH said if Chandler is their home, they stay in Chandler.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ said this subject is difficult to discuss. We are here because the Feds
dropped the ball, problems trickled down to the streets and it came down to our Fire, Police, and
Courts to handle what’s left. We need to treat our citizenry and keep them safe and get them the
help they need. He asked to keep continuing services and supporting the recommendations
provided, while also keeping an eye on funding as we are having to subsidize the Fed from
falling. We need to escalate this to our regional partners for help. He emphasized looking for the
root cause and providing follow on services from higher levels.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked what was meant by the Feds dropping the ball.
COUNCILMEMBER LOPEZ said that the problem has been growing in recent years, due to
massive changes being made in mental health programs.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS thanked the staff for bringing up this topic and admired the
collaboration of Team Chandler for this presentation. He mentioned how the subject of
addressing mental health integrates Chandler’s core values. We can address these issues
properly with our partner services and refer to the next level.
VICE MAYOR ROE asked if there is an active police warrant detail.
CHIEF DUGGAN said as officers come in, they are pushed out.
VICE MAYOR ROE said there would be six new positions, what would the cost be of these
appointments.
MR. WRIGHT mentioned that all these things would come up with the new budget. These will be
budget requests as resources are available to do so. There will be decision packages related to
these items
Page 13 of 13
VICE MAYOR ROE said we have a lot of resources being used to deal with this. Funding or grants
can help address the cost.
MR. WRIGHT brought up items not discussed in the presentation; training with HR for City
employees such as CPR training and signs of suicide. There is an upcoming training called
Breakthrough for Adolescents. We are looking for community partners and funding.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO voiced his support.
Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 5:36 p.m.
ATTEST: _______________________
______________________________
City Clerk Mayor
Approval Date of Minutes: February 10, 2022
Certification
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Work
Session of the City Council of Chandler, Arizona, held on the 27th day of January 2022. I further
certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present.
DATED this _______ day of February, 2022.
__________________________
City Clerk