Transporting People in Crisis

News from Evanston, Des Moines, Wenatchee, Shreveport, Plymouth, & Juneau.

Welcome new members of AMSA, City of Los Angeles!

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Welcome to AMSA, Courtney Williams-Goeloe!

Courtney Williams-Goeloe is an experienced program manager and policy strategist with over ten years of experience focusing on equity-focused initiatives within government, nonprofit, and community sectors.

She recently joined the AMSA team, where she oversees multi-state efforts to build coalitions, support current members, and help the association move into its next iteration and grow.

Previously, Courtney was a Senior Program Manager at the Center for Justice Innovation and a Strategic Planner at the NYC Criminal Justice Agency. She earned a Master of Science in Public and Urban Policy from The New School and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rutgers University.

Beyond her professional roles, Courtney is actively engaged in civic activities. She is Chair of the Milltown Human Relations Committee and Vice Chair of the Milltown Democratic Organization, where she works to advance equity, community involvement, and inclusive public policies locally.

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AMSA Talks

Marvin Swartz MD is a psychiatrist at Duke University. His major research interest is in examining the effectiveness of services for severely mentally ill individuals, including factors that improve or impede good outcomes.

• An average of 10% of law enforcement agencies’ total budgets was spent responding to and transporting persons with mental illness under involuntary commitment.

• 21% of total law enforcement staff time was used to respond to and transport individuals with mental illness.

• With the exception of crisis intervention teams, police and law enforcement receive scant training in working with persons with mental illness.

• Because of racial discrimination, stigma, poverty, and lack of insurance coverage, persons of color are disproportionately involved in law enforcement custody and transport.

Papers discussed in this interview are ~

Changing the Route: Seeking Compassionate Alternatives to Police Transport in Involuntary Civil Commitment
By Katie Lazar, Marvin Swartz, and Megan Moore State Laws on Law

Enforcement Custody and Transportation in the Process of Involuntary Civil Commitment
By Marvin Swartz, Megan Moore, Katie Lazar

Reducing Law Enforcement Custody and Transportation During Behavioral Health Crises
By Marvin Swartz, and Megan Pruette