AUSTIN (KXAN) — The city of Austin has launched a pilot program aimed at improving mental health crises.
The program is called Austin Field Integrated Response Support Team, or Austin FIRST. The program came after a review of the current protocols regarding law enforcement, according to a memo released by the city last Friday. In the memo, it found a gap in the current response model for high-acuity mental health emergencies.
The current standard for this call is for Austin-Travis County EMS and the Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team, or EMCOT, to be away from the scene and wait for law enforcement to make sure the area is safe…