Four mobile mental health crisis teams will soon be available to respond to 911 calls in Wichita, Kansas — implementing one of the reforms recommended in the wake of the 2021 death of Cedric Lofton.
Cedric died in a juvenile lock-up facility after his foster father had called 911 seeking help for the 17-year-old, who was in the midst of a mental health crisis. Officers attempted to convince the frightened teen to let them take him to a hospital, but when he refused, they detained him and brought him to a juvenile correctional facility. He died after being pinned to the ground face-down by several facility staff members for more than a half hour.
In the wake of his killing, a task force was assembled to develop recommendations on improving the state’s emergency response, law enforcement, foster care and youth justice systems to prevent similar tragedies.
A 24/7 mobile mental health response team was one of the dozens of recommendations made by the task force. The suggested reforms also included prohibiting certain kinds of physical restraints, requiring trauma-informed training for law enforcement personnel, and improving regular access to mental health care for foster youth.
The teams staffing the new units will include one master’s-level clinician who can provide diagnosis, and a bachelor’s-level clinician who can assist and follow up with patients in the days following, Yahoo News reports. The mobile teams will strive to de-escalate crises and provide outpatient referrals rather than bringing people to the hospital when it can be avoided.
The new crisis teams are expected to roll out by the end of the year. The city has agreed to spend $1.3 million on the project, which will fund the units through 2024. Mental health professionals are also being embedded in Sedgwick County’s 911 call center — another one of the recommended reforms — to answer mental health-related calls, providing support over the phone and sending out mobile crisis units as needed.
