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SUBSTITUTE BILL NO. 22-36 <br />SUBSTITUTE RESOLUTION NO. 4970-2 <br />Filed in Clerk's Office <br />A.UG O 8 ?O?? <br />� the community of South Bend is grieving the tragic death of Dante Kittrell who was shot and <br />killed on July 29, 2022; and <br />� Dante is reported to have had lifelong serious mental health issues and was in mental health crisis <br />at the time he was shot; and <br />� mental health professionals were never summoned to the scene of Dante's mental health crisis <br />before he was shot; and <br />� the proper response to potentially violent situations involving individuals with mental health <br />crises should include mental health professionals in concert with first responders; and <br />� it has been recognized that fire departments, without guns or a focus on punitive action, in <br />collaboration with mental health professionals can manage most mental health crises; and <br />� such mental health crisis response teams currently exist within fire departments in several cities <br />including Madison, Wisconsin, San Francisco, California, Eugene, Oregon, Anchorage, Alaska, and Chandler, <br />Arizona; and <br />� local mental health professionals have established a Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program; <br />and; <br />6JY';;;,rea.F, preventing and responding to mental health crises requires a system of care inclusive of true <br />partnership among first responders, public safety officers, health care professionals and their affiliated <br />institutions, social and behavioral therapists, community residents, and elected officials; and <br />� it is time to create and implement a mental health crisis response team so that all citizens can <br />receive the health care they need and deserve; <br />Section I. The South Bend Common Council hereby urges City of South Bend to require mental <br />health crisis training for all First Responders operating within the City. <br />Section II. The South Bend Common Council hereby urges the City of South Bend, South Bend Fire <br />Department, and the St. Joseph County Health Department to convene all relevant parties to examine the <br />current mental health crisis response system; recommend changes in the system; and develop and propose <br />a plan for incorporating mental health professionals and the fire department in the response to all mental <br />health crises.