Mobile mental health Crisis Response
We serve communities through unarmed, trauma-informed, culturally affirming crisis response
Building Safer Communities
People experiencing behavioral health crises are in urgent need of compassionate care to ease their stress, keep them safe, and support their ongoing wellness.
In most US cities, police officers are the primary first responders for mental health 911 calls. Unfortunately, most officers are not trained to properly meet the needs of behavioral crisis situations. Research conducted nationwide shows that officer involvement can make behavioral health crisis situations worse; this is particularly true in Black communities and other communities of color, which have disproportionately shouldered the harms of policing.
Canopy Roots believes it is time to build safer communities by developing civilian-led crisis response programs in partnership with local governments.
1 in 20 adults
experience serious mental illness each year in the US
1 in 4 fatal police encounters
involve an individual with serious mental illness in the US
1 in 4 adults
lack a regular place to access health care in the US
A Compassionate UNARMED Response
How can the city respond to thousands of mental health crisis calls when police intervention often causes tension or undue stress? The Behavioral Crisis Response (or BCR) unit is one answer.
The goal of BCR is to de-escalate non-violent crisis situations by compassionately responding to the unique needs of community members in need. Our culturally diverse crisis responders are certified mental health practitioners, and we require extensive and ongoing training in crisis intervention and trauma-informed care.
Data sources: Treatment Advocacy Center, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Alliance for Mental Health
OUR PARTNERSHIP AS MINNEAPOLIS BEHAVIORAL CRISIS RESPONSE
Our partnerships currently include the City of Minneapolis, MN in which we serve as the Behavioral Crisis Response (BCR) team. In this role, our purpose is to, “provide person-centered, culturally responsive crisis services to community members of all ages in Minneapolis.” We respond to 911 calls citywide in mobile vans operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our Impact
In The community
We believe that each first responder agency has a unique role to play in upholding community public safety.
In the spring, BCR was dispatched by 911 to support a person experiencing a mental health crisis in downtown Minneapolis. They appeared disoriented and was walking into oncoming traffic, placing themselves and others in danger. When BCR arrived, the Crisis Responder called for backup from the Police and Traffic Control to manage the flow of cars. This collaboration allowed Crisis Responders to safely help the community member.
Our integration into 911 dispatch offers a seamless delivery of services to people in crisis.
Grow Our
Impact With Us
We are committed to serving communities experiencing mental health crisis. To provide appropriate care, we rely on strong relationships with public and private partners. Visit our Partnerships page to learn how we can offer compassionate crisis response together.