Palm Beach County police agencies join crisis mental health care program
By Bill DiPaolo | Stet News
May 21, 2025 at 8:00 AM EDT
Five local law enforcement agencies — West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach Gardens — have joined since August with the county Health Care District to provide an alternative to jail for people with mental illness.
Called the Crisis Outreach and Support Team, or COAST, police and health care experts work together to respond to emergency calls, officials said at a news conference last week, during Mental Health Awareness Month, at the West Palm Beach police station.
When police officers arrive at a mental health call, the Baker Act allows them to transport the patient to a mental health facility for a 72-hour hold if they are determined to be a threat to themselves or others.
Too often, health officials say, patients who do not meet the threshold are released or jailed without proper care. They go untreated. The cycle repeats. And repeats.
About 300 people have been treated under the COAST program. Almost all — about 98 percent — avoided admission to a hospital under the Baker Act, meaning they received treatment and counseling instead.
“COAST is stopping the cycle. People are being treated with dignity,” West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James said.
“When health care experts and police officers work side by side, patients get immediate access to the care they need,” said Darcy Davis, president and chief executive officer of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County.
It’s making an impact in Riviera Beach, Police Chief Michael Coleman said.
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“Health care experts and our officers have worked together to help many people on Broadway get treatment,” he said. “We’re making progress. We still have lots of work to do.”
An HCD mental health care center in Mangonia Park, and other health centers, offer adult and pediatric care from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Along with police, health care officials are collaborating with the Vickers House and The Lord’s Place, both in West Palm Beach.
About 60% of people involved in the police calls under the COAST program were homeless.
Collaboration between law enforcement and health care is growing nationwide. In Denver, health care officials respond to some 911 calls. In Oregon, the Portland Street Response Team responded to 1,000 service calls last year that would normally be handled by armed police.
About 100 community leaders attended the news conference. Among them: County Mayor Maria Marino and County Commissioner Gregg Weiss.
The location of a $60 million, 60,000-square-foot Health Care District centralized receiving center that Stet reported on this year is expected to be announced later this year. The Palm Beach County Commission voted in January to contribute $10 million. The district plans to pay the rest.
For more information on health care services, go to WeCareForAllPBC.org.
This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach, a WLRN News partner.
Called the Crisis Outreach and Support Team, or COAST, police and health care experts work together to respond to emergency calls, officials said at a news conference last week, during Mental Health Awareness Month, at the West Palm Beach police station.
When police officers arrive at a mental health call, the Baker Act allows them to transport the patient to a mental health facility for a 72-hour hold if they are determined to be a threat to themselves or others.
Too often, health officials say, patients who do not meet the threshold are released or jailed without proper care. They go untreated. The cycle repeats. And repeats.
About 300 people have been treated under the COAST program. Almost all — about 98 percent — avoided admission to a hospital under the Baker Act, meaning they received treatment and counseling instead.
“COAST is stopping the cycle. People are being treated with dignity,” West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James said.
“When health care experts and police officers work side by side, patients get immediate access to the care they need,” said Darcy Davis, president and chief executive officer of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County.
It’s making an impact in Riviera Beach, Police Chief Michael Coleman said.
READ MORE: Mental health facility will help with anti-homeless law, says judge
“Health care experts and our officers have worked together to help many people on Broadway get treatment,” he said. “We’re making progress. We still have lots of work to do.”
An HCD mental health care center in Mangonia Park, and other health centers, offer adult and pediatric care from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Along with police, health care officials are collaborating with the Vickers House and The Lord’s Place, both in West Palm Beach.
About 60% of people involved in the police calls under the COAST program were homeless.
Collaboration between law enforcement and health care is growing nationwide. In Denver, health care officials respond to some 911 calls. In Oregon, the Portland Street Response Team responded to 1,000 service calls last year that would normally be handled by armed police.
About 100 community leaders attended the news conference. Among them: County Mayor Maria Marino and County Commissioner Gregg Weiss.
The location of a $60 million, 60,000-square-foot Health Care District centralized receiving center that Stet reported on this year is expected to be announced later this year. The Palm Beach County Commission voted in January to contribute $10 million. The district plans to pay the rest.
For more information on health care services, go to WeCareForAllPBC.org.
This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach, a WLRN News partner.