California Department Launches Mental Health "Strike Teams"

A new effort is underway in San Jose (CA) to help police officers better respond to individuals in mental health crisis.  

According to KPIX-TV , the department has sent to the streets specialized officers trained in responding to individuals in mental health crisis.  

The effort has specially trained San Jose Police Officers work alongside specialized mental health experts to connect citizens with clinicians from the county's Mobile Crisis Response team.

The mental health unit is a pilot program and will be evaluated over time to determine its effectiveness.