Mental health is a top issue in Milwaukee Co. -- meet members of the Crisis Assessment Response Teams who work to support those in need

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Last year, mental health was identified as a top issue in Milwaukee County, and according to the city's health department, people of color in the area are the most impacted.

Studies show that one in four adults in Milwaukee city or county have a mental health condition. 

That's why people like April Mbida have dedicated their efforts to making a difference. For the last three years, Mbida has worked as a behavioral health services emergency clinician in Milwaukee County.

“I just have a passion to want to help people that have mental health and substance abuse concerns," Mbida told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White.

Each day, she and Officer Jay Ehlers respond to calls from people in crisis.

"They may not feel off or they might not feel themselves or they’re worried or they’re literally just truly having a bad day," Officer Ehlers said. 

The two are members of Milwaukee's Crisis Assessment Response Team (CART) which launched in 2013.

"Everybody has their own approach. I know a lot of us, when we go in, the first thing that we want to do is establish rapport," Mbida said. 

Then, they'll assess. 

“When I say assessment, I mean I’ll ask them about their mental health, what they’re experiencing, any providers they have, caseworkers, if they’re in contact with any therapists, psychologists, what kind of medications they take," Officer Ehlers said.

Their goal? To de-escalate and encourage the person to voluntarily seek treatment.

“I can take an hour at a call and sometimes not even scratch the surface," Officer Ehlers said. 

And then get the person to voluntarily seek treatment…

Mbida agreed, noting that hopefully they are able to "connect with someone that can see that we care about them and maybe we can help them feel hope again for feeling better.”

This is especially key when they could be responding to the same person multiple times, like a veteran who suffered from alcoholism. 

“He was younger than me and it was a deployed setting, and he saw some things that he didn’t want to see," Officer Ehlers recalled. “Then he kept trying to kill himself. He had so many failed attempts and I was always called too late after the fact.”

But after repeated interactions, the veteran started to call before. Now, it's been six months since his last.

“From what I know, he’s still alive and well," Officer Ehlers said. 

It's a tough yet rewarding job for those like Officer Lowell Schaapveld, who is completing his first year on CART.

“Probably one of the best tools you can have on you is listening. Acknowledging. You don’t have to go down a trail with them on what they’re saying but acknowledge what they’re feeling because their feelings are real to them," Officer Schaapveld said. 

Now, more than a decade later the program is still expanding.

“Over the years we’ve also worked to increase our collaborations, we’ve expanded to partnerships with the sheriff’s office, to be able to respond across Milwaukee County for those areas that don’t have dedicated teams," said Community Crisis Services Director Lauren Hubbard. “There are opportunities for all of us where we may not be at our best and that isn’t something to be shy or ashamed of.”

Officials said they hope that with a multidisciplinary approach, they'll be able to highlight that mental health is a spectrum. 

"The hardest and easiest thing to do is reach out," Officer Ehlers said. “I can’t really quantify how important it is, it’s just that important.”