Item Description:
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JPA A2513298 with the City of Brooklyn Center authorizing the Hennepin County 911 Alternative Response Team program, 01/01/26-12/31/26
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Resolution:
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BE IT RESOLVED, that Joint Powers Agreements A2513298 with the City of Brooklyn Center to enhance the coordination between local police departments and the Human Services and Public Health Department (HSPHD) associated with the Hennepin County 911 Alternative Response Team (ART) program for the period of January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, be approved; and that the Chair of the Board be authorized to sign the Joint Powers Agreements on behalf of the County.
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Background:
This board action approves a new agreement establishing the updated 911 Alternative Response Team (ART) model in Brooklyn Center. It does not extend a prior agreement; rather, it formalizes a redesigned structure that mirrors the ART team composition in every other jurisdiction and expands the city’s first-responder system by adding a fourth response option: a behavioral health response. The model is built through collaboration with Brooklyn Center, Hennepin County, and the Sheriff’s Office. Under this agreement, the County will provide mental health social workers who deliver behavioral health support aimed at early intervention, prevention, and diversion, ensuring individuals receive the right help at the right time and reducing the likelihood that concerns escalate into emergencies.
The Alternative Response Team launched in 2024 and responds to non-violent, urgent calls identified by 911 dispatchers. It continues through 2026, with Hennepin County Social Workers available Monday-Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. In 2024, the Brooklyn Center team responded to 119 calls for service, increasing to 355 in 2025. Contact was made with 97% of those referred and over 280 resources shared, which supported residents being connected to the right services. This rapid growth reflects the escalating need for specialized, non-law enforcement responses to behavioral health crises and highlights the value of deploying trained crisis professionals to support residents safely and effectively. In this new agreement Brooklyn Center refers to the ART team as the Expanded Alternative Response Team (ERT).
This request supports the county’s identified priorities and goals for the disparity reduction Health domain by focusing on achieving health equity where every person feels they have the opportunity to attain their highest health potential, and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.
This request funds services that are: core services
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval