2nd national CIT Conference

September 25-27, 2006

BSF and MPD make a Joint Presentation

Community/Law Enforcement Partnership: Origin and Development of Minnesota CIT Statewide Initiative. That’s the title of the presentation that was made by Mark Anderson from Barbara Schneider Foundation, Sgt. Steve Wickelgren, CIT Coordinator with Minneapolis PD and John Trepp from Tasks Unlimited.

This panel discussed how CIT began in Minnesota, the growing BSF/MPD partnership on training, and growing collaborations with sheriffs, courts, corrections, social services, mental health, including long term supportive housing, employment, transportation and other services for adults with mental illness. They told the Minnesota story of outreach to other police agencies, growth of CIT in suburban departments and out-state communities, improved data collection efforts and improved outcomes on CIT calls. The presenters all agree that law enforcement is burdened with mental health crisis calls largely because there is an inadequate mental health system to provide needed acute care and long term support services for those with serious mental illness. They presented data that demonstrates ways to reduce police calls, emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Judge Richard Hopper Gala

July 26, 2006

On July 26, at a gala event in Excelsior, Minnesota, Judge Richard Hopper was presented with the Barbara Schneider Foundation Public Service Award for his work as Judge of the Mental Health Court in Hennepin County and his leadership of the Downtown Minneapolis Mental Health and Criminal Justice Workgroup.

Speakers at the event included MPD Assistant Chief Sharon Lubinski and Dr. Stephen Olson, MD, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Psychiatry. The MC was TV and Radio journalist Roshini Rajkumar.

Judge Richard Hopper Gala

My Big Fat Fundraiser