San Antonio is stepping up its game for mental health crisis intervention. The city's mental health crisis team, SA CORE - short for Community Outreach and Resiliency Effort - has been given the green light to expand beyond the central downtown area, where it was first launched in 2022. Initially consisting of a single team including an SAPD officer, an SAFD paramedic, and a clinician, the expansion follows a decision last September by the city council to earmark a hefty $7 million-plus for the project, as reported by KENS 5. This investment began to bear fruit in January, extending the reach of the mental health professionals city-wide.
Council members, after meeting Wednesday afternoon, are keen on further bolstering the team following the fatal police shooting of a woman experiencing a schizophrenic episode this past summer. Amid deliberations over a $3.7 billion budget proposal brimming with an unexpected $20 million surplus, the City Council's eyes are set on amplifying public safety measures, as Express-News outlined.
The funding also addresses other safety issues plaguing the city, from fatal canine attacks to a spike in police officers wounded in the field. No corners are being cut, with one budget amendment assuring the implementation of ballistic windows for SAPD vehicles for $210,000 in fiscal year 2024. City Manager Erik Walsh, discussing a rare step he took after consulting the chief of police, was quoted by Express News saying, "I did something that I don’t normally do. After a conversation with the chief, I told him to start procuring it."
Over at SA CORE, the boots on the ground speak volumes about their mission. Officer Andrew Treinies, joining the expanded program, told KENS 5, "I’ve worked patrol all of my career, and mental health and helping people has always been in my DNA and calling." His colleague, Kyasha Horne from the San Antonio Fire Department, echoed this sentiment: "I would like to be able to assist people in the long run so they’re not dialing 911 as frequently but actually getting the help that they need."
The collaboration has already shown promise, defusing situations that could escalate if not for their intervention. They demonstrated this during an incident on Monday morning, aiding a man who seemed to be self-harming, ultimately classifying the call as medical after careful assessment. With an approachable appearance, ditching the police uniform for polo shirts emblazoned with the SA CORE logo, the team aims not to arrest, but to aid. Shawn, a clinician with the Center for Health Care Services who's been with SA CORE since it first launched, admitted the intimidating aspect of working alongside law enforcement initially but discovered their skilled approach, saying, "They come in and they know how to talk to somebody," in an interview with KENS 5.
