Title
Resolution Directing the City Administrator to Discuss Crisis Response with Washtenaw County Community Mental Health to Determine Whether Partnership Opportunities Exist
Staff
Reviewed by: Atleen Kaur, City Attorney
Body
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor has worked diligently to design and launch an Unarmed Crisis Response Program, to be named SPROUT, which City representatives presented to City Council on December 8, 2025;
Whereas, Council wishes to move forward with the Unarmed Crisis Response Program as quickly as possible, but believes that further discussion and collaboration is needed to fully develop the co-response model (CO-SPROUT);
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor is committed to advancing trauma-informed, community-based public safety strategies that effectively respond to behavioral health and mental health crises;
Whereas, Nationally recognized best practices support co-response and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) models that integrate behavioral health clinicians with law enforcement to promote de-escalation, safety, and connection to appropriate services;
Whereas, Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (WCCMH) is the statutorily created mental health provider for Washtenaw County and provides behavioral health crisis response and clinical care coordination;
Whereas, WCCMH currently serves Ann Arbor residents through its 24-hour crisis line and through direct field response, including responses conducted within the City in partnership with the Ann Arbor Police Department;
Whereas, During Fiscal Year 2025, WCCMH received approximately 4,823 crisis service requests involving Ann Arbor residents, resulting in more than 2,000 unduplicated crisis responses, demonstrating sustained and significant demand for behavioral health crisis services within the City;
Whereas, Of these crisis responses, 555 originated from Ann Arbor Police Department calls for service, indicating sufficient volume to support a dedicated City-based co-response team;
Whereas, In 2024, 1,692 WCCMH clients resided in Ann Arbor, underscoring the importance of crisis response models that maintain continuity of care and access to existing clinical relationships when it best serves clients; and
Whereas, WCCMH can provide crisis assessments, residential placement, inpatient and partial hospitalization referrals, and crisis stabilization services in Washtenaw County including within the City of Ann Arbor;
Whereas, WCCMH crisis response data indicates that approximately 73 percent of community outreach encounters were resolved without hospitalization, reducing emergency department utilization and unnecessary institutionalization;
Whereas, WCCMH reports that 100 percent of crisis contacts resulted in follow-up and linkage to services, with individuals receiving repeated outreach for stabilization following a crisis event;
Whereas, WCCMH crisis teams conducted an average of 14.4 contacts per individual referred, compared to approximately two contacts in peer counties, demonstrating a high-intensity stabilization model focused on long-term outcomes rather than single-incident response; and
Whereas, Unarmed crisis response is a central goal for the City of Ann Arbor, but certain situations require limited law enforcement involvement for public safety purposes, making a coordinated co-response model with trained officers necessary;
RESOLVED, That the Ann Arbor City Council directs the City Administrator to meet with Washtenaw County Community Mental Health, the Ann Arbor Police Department, and other relevant stakeholders to gain their insight as the City continues to explore, design, and pilot a co-response or CO-SPROUT model for the City of Ann Arbor;
RESOLVED, That this collaborative process shall prioritize intentional and purposeful evaluation of whether partnership with and/or use of WCCMH clinical expertise, records systems, operational models and/or care coordination could be beneficial as the City of Ann Arbor works to develop its CO-SPROUT crisis response program; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator shall return to City Council within 90 days with findings, implementation options, and any recommended agreements or budget considerations including his determination as to whether an ongoing collaborative partnership with Washtenaw County Community Mental Health is prudent.
Sponsored by: Councilmember Harrison