Community Outreach And Stabilization Unit (C.O.A.S.T.)
In March of 2018, the Saint Paul Police Department established the Mental Health Unit. The program is based on a collaboration between police and mental health providers through case management practices. In 2019, the Unit was challenged with creating a supportive program for those living with substance use disorders to respond to the community's needs and expectations. To best reflect the Department's programming goals and vision for the future of the program, the name was changed from the Mental Health Unit to the Community Outreach and Stabilization Unit, or C.O.A.S.T. The COAST Unit consists of the Mental Health Resource Team (MHRT) and the Recovery Access Program (RAP). The Unit enables the SPPD to connect people in crisis with the care they need, helping to significantly reduce mental-health-crisis-related arrests and repeat calls for service. With a concentration on community outreach, the unit seeks to be part of the conversation before tragedy occurs—and possibly prevent or disrupt the behaviors.
Mental Health Resource Team (MHRT)
The Mental Health Resource Team, or MHRT, is a collaborative response between the Saint Paul Police Department and our community-based resource partners. Comprised of our partners from Ramsey County Crisis and People Incorporated, our embedded Licensed Clinical Social Workers work with specially trained Mental Health officers to conduct follow-up and outreach on non-criminal incidents where mental health is believed to be a factor. The goal is to connect individuals in need of community-based resources to services.
Recovery Access Program (RAP)
Saint Paul Police Officers are a part of the first responder network that arrives to overdoses caused by substance use. The Recovery Access Program, or RAP, is an effort to connect individuals living with a substance use disorder to community-based programs and supports, encouraging health and wellness. The program partners a sworn officer with a licensed alcohol and drug counselor during outreach efforts following an overdose event. The goals of the RAP program include accurate collection of data, outreach and follow up to calls for service, engagement of resources and appropriate responses to potential narcotic epidemics.
For more information on SPPD's MHRT or RAP, contact the C.O.A.S.T. Unit at 651-266-5840.
Resources:
Our community has a number of services which may be useful to those in need of mental health resources.
- Ramsey County Crisis: 651-266-7900
- Children’s Mental Health: 651-266-7878
- Veteran’s Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255
Ramsey County Adult Mental Health Urgent Care Center, 402 E. University.
The St. Paul Police Department is a proud participant of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) One Mind pledge. The One Mind Campaign seeks to ensure successful interactions between police officers and persons affected by mental illness. The initiative focuses on united local communities, public safety organizations, and mental health organizations so that the three become "of one mind."
