MINNEAPOLIS — Millions of Americans struggle with their mental health, and at least 1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness, according to NAMI Minnesota.
In December of 2021, Minneapolis launched a crisis response team to help people dealing with mental health issues without police intervention.
There's no shortage of 911 calls coming into Minneapolis dispatch these days, but what set Pam Christian's recent 911 call apart can be summed up in one word.
"'Elated' is the word," said Christian.
Christian, who lives in south Minneapolis' Lyndale neighborhood, recently woke up to commotion on her front porch.
"There's a kid, a person sitting there with his back to me, hooded jacket," explained Christian.
First she was startled, but then started asking a series of questions.
"I was able to determine that I didn't feel he was a threat to me or to (Christian's dog) Spur," Christian said. "Spur was out on the porch with him in his lap, it was almost therapeutic, it seemed like."
She went on to say, "I said to the kid, 'Would you be okay if I called 911?' And he said, 'I don't want any cops,' and I said, 'Well, they have a new group there that's unarmed and are really trying to turn around how help is delivered to people in need.'"
That group is the city's new Behavioral Crisis Response team or BCR.
It's a team of trained licensed mental health professionals, to help respond to non-violent emergency calls.
"They respond to all things behavioral that are not criminal," explained Brian Smith, Director of Performance and Innovation for the City of Minneapolis.
"Two members of the BCR showed up at the front gate, they were both women," said Christian.
BCR is made up of 19 people, working non stop since December 13, 2021.
"They did 1,600 calls in three-and-a-half months," said Smith.
It's a new approach, helping rewrite the narrative of public safety in the City of Minneapolis, one life at a time.
"What I want people to do if they can, in an instance that is shocking like that and unexpected, is to give the person the benefit of the doubt," Christian said. "Just try to imagine that this is a human being struggling."
If you find yourself in a similar situation in Minneapolis, you have to call 911 for that call to be connected to the BCR team.
As for the young man found on Christian's porch, he was reunited safely with his family.
For information on how to become a member of the BCR team, click here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist: