About Our Division
Houston Police Department
Mental Health Division
The Mental Health Division (MHD) was formed to provide a more professional and humane response to people in serious mental health crisis.
The primary purpose of the MHD is to oversee the department’s Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program and to provide training and guidance in the areas of policies and procedures when dealing with persons in mental health crises. To accomplish this goal, the Mental Health Division works closely in collaboration with the mental health community at large, most notably, though, with The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD.
Currently, the Mental Health Division is assigned to Patrol Operations, and consists of 43 full-time personnel including:
- 1 Commander
- 2 Lieutenants
- 7 Sergeants
- 2 Officers assigned as CIT instructors
- 3 Officers assigned to the Investigations Unit
- 2 Officers assigned to the Boarding Homes Enforcement Unit (BHEU)
- 1 Officer assigned to the Chronic Consumer Stabilization Initiative (CCSI)
- 18 Officers assigned to the Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT)
- 6 Officers assigned to the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT)
- 1 Officer assigned to Administrative Duties (budget, technology, vehicle coordination, etc.)
- 1 Officer assigned to Special Projects
- 1 Officer assigned as a Data Analyst
- 1 Senior Office Assistant (civilian)
- 1 Public Service Officer (civilian)
Additionally, there were almost equally as many collaborative civilian team members from The Harris Center working alongside HPD personnel within the MHD.
A MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDER
“I would like to welcome you to the Houston Police Department’s Mental Health Division (MHD) website. You will find helpful information and resources on our site. Please feel free to call or email us if you have questions.
Modern policing requires the ability to respond to individuals experiencing serious mental health crises. The Mental Health Division is a collaboration between the Houston Police Department (HPD), mental health professionals in Houston/Harris County, and advocacy groups, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Through these collaborations, HPD works with the community to develop multifaceted strategies for responding to those experiencing mental health crises. And HPD strives to respond as professionally, safely, and humanely as possible.
As a leader and one of the national co-responder models, we strive to work with our community partners, ever-improving our response to persons with mental illness, substance abuse, and those experiencing homelessness. We continually work at developing new strategies and techniques that will keep the Houston Police Department the premiere law enforcement agency regarding specialized police responses to the mentally ill.
The Mental Health Division has been assessed and approved by the National Quality Assurance, U.S.A., against the provisions of ISO 9001: 2015 and is a certified ISO agency.
Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in the Houston Police Department’s Mental Health Division.”
Commander Jennifer Read
Commander Read’s formal education includes a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (Education) from the University of Houston, and a Master of Arts in Criminology from the University of Houston Clear Lake. Additionally, she holds a Master Peace Officer Certification with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) and is a TCOLE Certified Instructor.
Commander Read is a native Houstonian who understands the importance of community partnerships and is proud to serve in one of the most diverse cities in the Nation. Her goal is to continue to build relationships with the communities she serves and together address the challenging issues of mental health that impact those communities.
Commander Jennifer Read
Houston Police Department
Mental Health Division
STAY IN THE LOOP
GET IN TOUCH
We want to hear from you!
Find us at the Houston Recovery Center
150 N Chenevert St, Houston, TX 77002
Give us a call
832-394-4200
Mon-Fri 0800-1600
