DART launches Cares program to help homeless riders with mental health issues
DALLAS - The DART Cares program started off as a pilot program, but it’s now in full motion.
The specialized team's mission is to help unsheltered riders who may be experiencing a behavioral health crisis. And what they're finding, too, is sometimes it’s as simple as getting folks connected to basic services.
Social worker Delorean Wilkinson-McGee is doing what she does best by connecting with people.
She's part of the recently formed DART Cares team, consisting of a licensed behavioral health clinician from Parkland Health, a DART police officer and Dallas firefighter paramedic.
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Their mission is to assist the homeless who may be living on and around DART platforms, buses and trains.
"Find out what they need and get them to our partners to get them the help that they need," said DART Chief Communications Officer Jeamy Molina.
One woman was hanging out near the DART bus stop off Elm Street in Downtown Dallas. Wilkinson-McGee was able get her connected to medical care and transportation.
Dallas Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Scott Clumpner says Station 18, located in Downtown Dallas, is the busiest in the city. He says it’s been a game changer having a dedicated firefighter paramedic on the DART Cares team. There's currently 40 in rotation.
"Our ambulances are the ones ultimately called to these locations, and that's part of goal of the program as well is to reduce the need to send a frontline ambulance to someone who might not need emergency care but definitely needs treatment," he said.
"Our social workers are able to do in-person psycho-social assessments meeting needs where they are," said Kristin Peterson with Parkland Health. "Some people have gotten disconnected from family gotten lost down here and stranded."
It’s helped people like Bartholomew. He was reunited with his family in Kansas after living on the streets of Dallas for over a decade.
The happy homecoming was thanks to a DART Cares team who found him on a freezing cold night in mid-January and brought him to a temporary shelter at Our Calling.
The pastor there set up the touching moment.
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And the specialized team is just getting started.
DART Cares team members can also use tablets they have with them to facilitate a telehealth appointment with a Parkland clinician if one is not on site.
It's important to note that the conversations with the DART Cares team are confidential.
Clinicians will follow up with individuals to make sure they're getting the services they need.