Written by The MMA will host a webinar on Dec. 9 spotlighting three “alternative response teams” throughout the state.
These unarmed community response programs, rooted in racial equity and trauma-informed practices, work to provide behavioral health support and resources to community members.
Attendees will hear about Lynn’s CALM Team, Cambridge’s Community Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) Team, and Amherst’s Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service (CRESS) team.
Panelists will include:
• CRESS Director Camille Theriaque
• Cambridge Community Safety Department Director Marie Mathieu
• Lynn Calm Team Program Administrator Abdel Razak Kawaf
• Lynn Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Faustina Cuevas
Presenters will give an overview of how each initiative operates, and how they differ in scope, funding, and staffing based on the community’s needs and resources. They will also discuss the importance of community buy-in when launching a similar program.
Online registration is available for the 75-minute webinar, which will begin at noon. Only MMA members may register. MMA members include elected officials and municipal employees from MMA member communities across the state. Media members are not permitted to attend.
The post Alternative Response Teams: Building a Program That Fits your Community’s Needs webinar appeared first on Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA).