DULUTH — Duluth’s Mental Health Crisis Response Team has secured funding for another year after Mayor Roger Reinert reversed his initial proposal to cut the program. The decision comes after significant public support and a unanimous vote from the Duluth City Council on Monday night.
The crisis team, operated by the Human Development Center (HDC), has been pivotal in shifting mental health-related calls away from the police, providing unarmed intervention and support to those in crisis. The three-year contract with HDC was set to expire this year, with no funding included in the mayor’s 2025 budget proposal. Reinert’s administration initially argued that mental health services were more within the scope of county human services rather than a city responsibility.
However, after community outcry, Reinert acknowledged the program’s value, but also emphasized the need to balance tax pressure on residents. Councilors worked to identify funding outside the general fund to avoid raising property taxes while maintaining the program for another year.
Councilor Arik Forsman, who helped secure funding for the program in 2021, expressed strong support for its continuation, highlighting its positive impact on freeing up police resources. Duluth Fire Chief Shawn Krizaj also noted that the team has reduced the pressure on both the fire and police departments when it comes to mental health calls.
The crisis response team, composed of unarmed staff trained in de-escalation, has helped thousands of individuals over the past two years by diverting people from emergency departments and creating safe spaces for those in crisis. While the team continues to collaborate with police when necessary, their focus on outreach and building relationships in vulnerable communities, such as homeless shelters, has been praised by advocates.
Community members like Angel Dobrow emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to city services, arguing that residents in crisis prioritize care over infrastructure concerns. John Powers, a Duluth resident, added that there is a “blind spot” in the city’s focus on traditional services and that programs like the crisis team are essential for making Duluth a vibrant community.
St. Louis County has expressed interest in being part of future discussions regarding the program’s sustainability, with most of the funding for HDC in 2025 expected to come from a collections error related to a housing development overseen by the Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
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