FAIRHOPE — Fairhope is evaluating how its police department and authorities respond to mental health crises within the community.

Fairhope City Council approved a memorandum last week between the Fairhope Police Department and AltaPointe Health Systems that aims to "improve responses to individuals involved in mental health crises" by reducing the need for police involvement in non-criminal behavioral health-related situations and will ensure individuals involved in these situations would receive better access to appropriate care.

Under the memorandum, the Fairhope Police Department will be provided with five iPads equipped with MyCare, a crises response technology from AltaPointe, with the iPads costing the police department $425 per month. According to Police Chief Stephanie Hollinghead, these iPads will be used for officers who encounter an issue that they need immediate guidance on, giving them
immediate contact to a professional from AltaPointe.

In addition, the city and police department are also looking into where to place individuals exhibiting mental health crises and non-criminal behavior in the event they have to be detained. It is currently unclear whether new facilities will have to be used for this purpose.

City Councilman Corey Martin applauded the effort, calling it a step in the right direction in regard to how local authorities respond to mental health episodes. He said he hopes state leaders will follow a similar model in their legislation.

"We got a lot of situations that they deal with that are mental cases, and the problem is we don't have the criteria to handle these [individuals] the way they need to be handled," Martin said. "I think this is the right direction going forward to separate those two things between mental health and crime and actually get these people taken care of medically to resolve some of the criminal issues we have which result from a chemical imbalance."

Fairhope is not the only city in the area working with AltaPointe Health Systems on this issue. In March 2024, AltaPointe announced they were working with the Mobile Police Department on similar measure. In a statement, they said their goal is to enhance the preparedness of officers and to reduce the negative outcomes in crises situations involving mental health episodes.

"AltaPointe's Behavioral Health Crisis Center serves as a vital resource, offering immediate treatment and observation for individuals experiencing crises. By diverting individuals from arrests and unnecessary emergency department visits, the crisis center ensures that resources are efficiently allocated, allowing law enforcement and medical personnel to focus on their respective areas of expertise," said Cindy Gipson, Ph.D., associate executive director of crisis services for AltaPointe.