The 13-year-old held a knife against her throat one spring morning, looked her mom in the eyes and said she’d do it.
In desperation, her mom called 911. It was the second time her daughter’s behavior forced her to dial the trio of digits, to reach out to strangers for help.
But unlike the last time, the two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies who responded weren’t alone. They came with social workers who are part of the Mental Evaluation Teams, a growing program that the public and many in law enforcement across the nation want to see expanded. One of the goals of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health program is to divert people with psychiatric needs away from overcrowded jails and juvenile halls and even from scarce emergency room beds, and into consistent services.
Activists say these teams can be key to de-escalate situations between law enforcement and people who are mentally ill that can turn deadly.
But in L.A. County, where law enforcement officers serve a vast area stretching from Long Beach to the Antelope Valley and from the San Fernando Valley to the Inland Empire, there aren’t enough beds or teams to help people like the 13-year-old.
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