7 21-0126 Subject: Report On Recommendation To Implement The (MACRO) Pilot Program
From: Council President Fortunato Bas
Recommendation: Receive An Oral Report And Recommendation To Implement The Mobile Assistance Community Responders Of Oakland (MACRO) Pilot Program With City Of Oakland Civilian Employees As Provided In Resolution No. 88433 CMS, Which Directed The City Administrator To Review That Option And Report Back To Council And To Report On Possible Contracting Options
As a concerned community member, I urge the council to implement the MACRO program as soon as possible - in a matter of months, not years. Oakland residents deserve trained mental health providers to address their mental health needs. Such capacity has already been established by MH First, Oakland's first and only non-911 mental health response. For the program to succeed and for all of Oakland to benefit, MACRO must be staffed by positions which are well-paid and unionized. This is an incredible and urgently-needed opportunity to improve the lives and safety for all of those who live, work, and play in Oakland.
I'm an Oakland resident and a clinical social worker, and I'm strongly in support of implementing MACRO within the fire department. I've witnessed and experienced several incidents that required a mental health crisis response when those services were unavailable. I've been in the field alone with clients in crisis and I've been in an agency when we've had to call the police. The difference in response and outcome due to the presence or absence of both police and appropriate mental health crisis services is remarkable. Non-police responses lead to far better connections to help, treatment, and the community as a whole, and doesn't heighten the tension in what is already a crisis.
We have to prioritize implementing MACRO that is not under the umbrella of OPD as their training and culture work against the aims of MACRO. Oakland Fire Department is far better equipped to oversee a program to help residents in crisis. I'd also strongly advocate for the involvement of MH First in establishing the program. They've done a phenomenal job of creating a program that serves Oakland in crisis on weekend nights. They understand the needs and dynamics of our communities; we have to respect their expertise and we have to implement MACRO as soon as possible.
As a community member and homelessness services worker, I urge the council to institute MACRO as soon as possible, at minimum within 4-6 months. MACRO must be staffed by positions that are ultimately well paid and unionized for it to succeed. “We’re calling for a program that gives residents a necessary and life-saving service by partnering with the Oakland Fire Department and utilizing the existing capacity of MH First, Oakland’s first and only non-911 mental health response” - Please make this a top priority for the safety of our loved ones and collective futures!
We need to urgently establish a 24/7 non-police response to help people experiencing mental health crises. The police do not have the correct training or perspective for this work, and each time they respond instead of MACRO or a similar program it puts lives at risk.
This item has been repeatedly been very low on the agenda. It needs to be moved to unfinished business. The MACRO implementation is of high priority to us as advocates for social justice. Other cities are already using this type of program. How many more people with mental challenges need die at the hands of untrained people? use the Fire department and implement ASAP. Also the city manager told media it would take 18 weeks to implement. What does have to do with this? He has already made unsubstantiated statements in the past! What power does he have and what are his limitations?
Our communities cannot wait any longer—we’re calling on this program to be established within the next 4 to 6 months and that MH First, as Oakland's first non-police, free mental health service, be involved in the process.
MACRO can be achieved by hiring staff as temporary workers who are put on a pathway to full-time work to create safe, well-paid, union jobs for those workers.
I'm an Oakland resident and social worker who is urging the council to support recommendations to immediately implement the MACRO program by bringing these services in-house, to make sure these are good, union jobs. Having a mental health crisis service that is NOT tied to 911 and police is vital to having a healthy community. Please support Council Member Kaplan’s supplemental and do not delay implementing this program. If other cities like San Francisco can implement this in 4 months, so can we — our communities cannot wait. Thank you.
I am an Oakland resident who has been in multiple incidents of needing true non-police mental health support for community emergencies. MACRO would ensure that Oaklanders have a mental health crisis service with trained professionals equipped to support people through a mental health crisis. 50% of police killings occur when a person is experiencing a mental health crisis—the time to act is now! Vote YES to support this program.
I am a member of Plymouth United Church of Christ and our food for unhoused team was privileged to provide a good lunch for over 70 unhoused folks who came to the January 2019 Police Commission hearing on their issues with OPD. A report came out of their interviews which led to the community meeting sponsored by the Police Commission, Faith In Action East Bay, Coalition for Police Accountability and Council member Kaplan at St. Columba where a working model for interrupting 911 with non-police responders was presented. This led to the Urban Strategies research, community engagement and report, which was finished in June of 2020. At the moment a viable home for the MACRO pilot was chosen, something strange happened and it was pulled. Given where we are now, no more obstruction! Put it into the Fire Department directly - create a systemic interruption of ALL 911 calls that require a non-police crisis and service team response. And, please, this isn't just about mental health calls (the county already has several numbers involving clinicians - we don't need to replicate alternate numbers with a specialized response.) We need SYSTEMIC interruption of the 911 system staffed by community-based people (based in the actual community impacted by bad policing, not self-styled ideological gate-keepers with any agenda other than getting this 911 interruption program up and running.) It's been researched and is ready. Cut out the politics. Implement MACRO now, in the Fire Department.
Implementing MCRO has taken way too long. Please stop the political delays and get the program started! Now is the time for a well-trained, well-paid team of community-based responders to be organized and for the community to be fully informed of this non-police crisis response alternative. Placing MACRO under the umbrella of the Fire Department is fine. Diluting your support and funding for the program is not.
Thank you for your service.
Jean Moses, District 2
As a concerned community member, I urge the council to implement the MACRO program as soon as possible - in a matter of months, not years. Oakland residents deserve trained mental health providers to address their mental health needs. Such capacity has already been established by MH First, Oakland's first and only non-911 mental health response. For the program to succeed and for all of Oakland to benefit, MACRO must be staffed by positions which are well-paid and unionized. This is an incredible and urgently-needed opportunity to improve the lives and safety for all of those who live, work, and play in Oakland.
I'm an Oakland resident and a clinical social worker, and I'm strongly in support of implementing MACRO within the fire department. I've witnessed and experienced several incidents that required a mental health crisis response when those services were unavailable. I've been in the field alone with clients in crisis and I've been in an agency when we've had to call the police. The difference in response and outcome due to the presence or absence of both police and appropriate mental health crisis services is remarkable. Non-police responses lead to far better connections to help, treatment, and the community as a whole, and doesn't heighten the tension in what is already a crisis.
We have to prioritize implementing MACRO that is not under the umbrella of OPD as their training and culture work against the aims of MACRO. Oakland Fire Department is far better equipped to oversee a program to help residents in crisis. I'd also strongly advocate for the involvement of MH First in establishing the program. They've done a phenomenal job of creating a program that serves Oakland in crisis on weekend nights. They understand the needs and dynamics of our communities; we have to respect their expertise and we have to implement MACRO as soon as possible.
As a community member and homelessness services worker, I urge the council to institute MACRO as soon as possible, at minimum within 4-6 months. MACRO must be staffed by positions that are ultimately well paid and unionized for it to succeed. “We’re calling for a program that gives residents a necessary and life-saving service by partnering with the Oakland Fire Department and utilizing the existing capacity of MH First, Oakland’s first and only non-911 mental health response” - Please make this a top priority for the safety of our loved ones and collective futures!
We need to urgently establish a 24/7 non-police response to help people experiencing mental health crises. The police do not have the correct training or perspective for this work, and each time they respond instead of MACRO or a similar program it puts lives at risk.
This item has been repeatedly been very low on the agenda. It needs to be moved to unfinished business. The MACRO implementation is of high priority to us as advocates for social justice. Other cities are already using this type of program. How many more people with mental challenges need die at the hands of untrained people? use the Fire department and implement ASAP. Also the city manager told media it would take 18 weeks to implement. What does have to do with this? He has already made unsubstantiated statements in the past! What power does he have and what are his limitations?
Our communities cannot wait any longer—we’re calling on this program to be established within the next 4 to 6 months and that MH First, as Oakland's first non-police, free mental health service, be involved in the process.
MACRO can be achieved by hiring staff as temporary workers who are put on a pathway to full-time work to create safe, well-paid, union jobs for those workers.
I'm an Oakland resident and social worker who is urging the council to support recommendations to immediately implement the MACRO program by bringing these services in-house, to make sure these are good, union jobs. Having a mental health crisis service that is NOT tied to 911 and police is vital to having a healthy community. Please support Council Member Kaplan’s supplemental and do not delay implementing this program. If other cities like San Francisco can implement this in 4 months, so can we — our communities cannot wait. Thank you.
I am an Oakland resident who has been in multiple incidents of needing true non-police mental health support for community emergencies. MACRO would ensure that Oaklanders have a mental health crisis service with trained professionals equipped to support people through a mental health crisis. 50% of police killings occur when a person is experiencing a mental health crisis—the time to act is now! Vote YES to support this program.
I am a member of Plymouth United Church of Christ and our food for unhoused team was privileged to provide a good lunch for over 70 unhoused folks who came to the January 2019 Police Commission hearing on their issues with OPD. A report came out of their interviews which led to the community meeting sponsored by the Police Commission, Faith In Action East Bay, Coalition for Police Accountability and Council member Kaplan at St. Columba where a working model for interrupting 911 with non-police responders was presented. This led to the Urban Strategies research, community engagement and report, which was finished in June of 2020. At the moment a viable home for the MACRO pilot was chosen, something strange happened and it was pulled. Given where we are now, no more obstruction! Put it into the Fire Department directly - create a systemic interruption of ALL 911 calls that require a non-police crisis and service team response. And, please, this isn't just about mental health calls (the county already has several numbers involving clinicians - we don't need to replicate alternate numbers with a specialized response.) We need SYSTEMIC interruption of the 911 system staffed by community-based people (based in the actual community impacted by bad policing, not self-styled ideological gate-keepers with any agenda other than getting this 911 interruption program up and running.) It's been researched and is ready. Cut out the politics. Implement MACRO now, in the Fire Department.
Implementing MCRO has taken way too long. Please stop the political delays and get the program started! Now is the time for a well-trained, well-paid team of community-based responders to be organized and for the community to be fully informed of this non-police crisis response alternative. Placing MACRO under the umbrella of the Fire Department is fine. Diluting your support and funding for the program is not.
Thank you for your service.
Jean Moses, District 2