The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is utilizing crisis intervention specialists (CIS) to address problems throughout the system that doesn’t require a response by an armed police officer, taking a new approach to improving safety.
CIS are unarmed BPD employees who have a background in social services. Their mission is to proactively ride trains and walk platforms to respond to reports of people in the BART system who are experiencing a crisis with mental health, a lack of housing or drug issues and connect them with services.
BART wants to reduce incidents inside trains and stations related to this vulnerable population and respond to calls for welfare checks with the CIS teams. The new approach is already paying off. In November, CIS teams made 208 contacts across the BART system which resulted in 35 referrals to support services.
Yolanda Barbosa and Natalie Robinson are two of the BART Police Department’s new CIS.
For Barbosa and Robinson, it’s all about building relationships because often people who need help are not ready to accept it at first.
“There’s a lot of refusal,” said Robinson. “There’s a lot of people who aren’t ready for help and we just have to be patient. I don’t want to say persistent, but you want to be consistent and always be there for them whenever they need it and just show that you’re going to constantly show up. And eventually that will lead to some trust building and reaching out. They see you’re actually going to be there, so they reach out.”
On this day Robinson and Barbosa reported to the concourse of Embarcadero Station and saw a familiar face. Jack* is a regular at the station who has routinely turned down aid even though his health has been deteriorating. But this time when the CIS team offered help, he accepted. Jack came up to Market Street for a medical exam and was taken to a hospital for the care he needs and hopefully a connection with a social worker.
