NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new mental health response team is launching in Nashville.
The group is called REACH and aims to respond if you are having a mental health crisis rather than sending law enforcement. They will go to crisis situations that don't require police.
The program will have veteran paramedics along with counselors who go in an SUV to free up ambulances for other things.
To be clear this would be for less serious situations, officers will still respond to mental health calls if there is violence or a weapon involved.
"With REACH, the Nashville Fire Department can approach a situation with the right resources the first time, helping individuals in crisis more quickly and reducing the demand on emergency resources," Nashville Fire Department Chief William Swann said in a statement.
They will stay centrally located, but they can go to any spot.
Ideally, the program would improve response times and not have people going to the emergency room.
This is a pilot program and will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
