“This system is going to be a huge help.”

By GRETA SHUSTER Beacon Media Staff Writer

This story was originally published in the Warwick Beacon, a publication partner of Ocean State Stories.

Read this story in its original form and all other Beacon stories by clicking here.

WARWICK — Warwick police are getting ready to roll out a new technology that will help their crisis intervention team better respond to mental-health calls.

Through their partnership with Thrive Behavioral Health, a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic in Warwick, the department has received access to a grant-funded telehealth program called MyCare.

The Police Department began a partnership with Thrive about a year ago and has since had a case manager from the agency, Francesca Mercurio, responding to mental-health calls alongside officers. Mercurio works mostly in pre-assessment and follow-up with those struggling with their mental health. With this existing partnership, Thrive chose Warwick police as the department to try out this new software.

The department received 14 tablet computers that allow officers to connect those in need with a clinician almost instantly, even if Mercurio is not available.

“There’s only one of me,” said Mercurio, a certified, trained case manager who works with the department on weekdays. “If I’m not there, or if there’s another call in the city, they’re able to utilize the tablet and get a clinician at the touch of a button.”

Normally, when Mercurio responds to a scene, she performs a pre-assessment to determine if the person in crisis meets the criteria for an involuntary hospitalization. At that point, she contacts a clinician to complete the certification paperwork.

Without the tablet computers, officers would have to call a line with an answering service and wait to be connected to a clinician. According to Sgt. Josh Myer, the officer in charge of the mental-health team, the old method was “not very timely or efficient.”

“This system is going to be a huge help,” said Myer, adding that with the tablet computers, the wait time to be connected will be as little as 10 seconds.

The program, which is supported by a grant secured by Thrive, provides police with MyCaretablet computers that officers can take along when responding to calls. If an officer identifies someone in need of intervention, the tablet will allow them to connect the person in crisis with a clinician from Thrive.

“It’s that simple,” Myer said. “We cut out the middleman with this new technology.”

With easier access to clinicians comes fewer unnecessary trips to the emergency room and cuts down on time that officers need to spend on the phone.

“Now we can actually talk to the clinicians,” said Myer. “The simplicity of the device is what makes it so wonderful.”

Myer said that training with the MyCare tablets will be brief, as there are only two buttons on them. One button is to speak with a clinician on behalf of a person in crisis, and the other is for officer wellness. Myer said officers can use that button to speak with a clinician anonymously about a difficult scene they’ve had to handle or anything affecting their mental health.

Mercurio sees the partnership between the police and Thrive as very impactful for members of the community struggling with their mental health.

“What I’ve found over the years … is that a lot of people lack the awareness about the supportive services that are out there,” said Mercurio, who is passionate about showing those in need the variety of social services available to them. “To have someone in their corner who’s in uniform is very beneficial.”

The department plans to begin using MyCare in February.

“We’re excited,” said Myer. “It’s a great opportunity to help the citizens of Warwick.”