4. About Us
Deputy Stephanie Krager
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
Tampa, FL
Over 25 years of law enforcement experience
Founded HCSO's CIT program in 2004
Coordinates the HCSO Homeless Initiative since 2013 where she has
personally assisted over 200 chronically homeless persons obtain
permanent housing
Deputy Krager has been honored with over 40 awards and commendations.
Her innovations in crisis intervention and homelessness was recently
recognized in a private meeting with President Barack Obama
Awarded Deputy of the Year, April 2016
Nominated for DOJ Community Policing Award, April 2016
6. About Us
Officer Daniel McDonald
Tampa Police Department
Tampa, FL
24 years of law enforcement and corrections experience
Founded the TPD Homeless Initiative in 2012 to address the needs of the
chronically homeless
Founded the TPD Crisis Intervention Team in 2015
Officer McDonald's achievements have received worldwide attention
His work has been featured on the Today Show, Inside Edition, ABC
News, CNN, People Magazine, the Tampa Tribune, the Tampa Bay Times,
the Times of India and the Daily Mail (London)
He has received several awards including TPD Officer of the Month and
the Housing & Education Alliance Community Hero award.
Nominated for the Distinguished Service Award, April 2016, by the
Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency (FCCD)
7. About Us
Dep. Krager brings a crisis intervention background,
then added homeless initiative responsibilities
Ofc. McDonald brings a homeless outreach
background, then added crisis intervention
responsibilities
Their programs have converged into a combined
crisis intervention team and homeless initiative
because of the success of their methodology
8. Today’s Presentation
We are leading the way with an innovative joint
agency program that combines crisis intervention
and homeless outreach teams
The Tampa area has a population of 4.3 million
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office ranks as one of
the top-ten largest sheriff's offices in the nation with
over 2,000 law enforcement and detention deputies
The Tampa Police Department has over 1,000 officers
9. Today’s Presentation
By proactively engaging clients before they reach a
crisis point, cross-trained officers and deputies can
assess and treat their client's mental health and / or
addictions while simultaneously housing them
through a housing-first strategy
11. Objectives
1. Intergrating CIT with Homeless Outreach:
Turning Reactivity into Proactivity
CIT Teams by definition respond to persons in crisis
Your presenters will discuss the benefits of integrating
crisis intervention teams with homeless outreach teams
This yields cross-trained officers possessing the tools to
reduce future crisis situations by addressing both their
client's mental health needs and housing needs
In short - we bridge the gap between mental wellness
and mental illness
12. Objectives
2. Media Relations & Social Media
Your presenters will demonstrate how an effective
media relations strategy can build community support
for a joint CIT / homeless outreach program
We will present case studies to demonstrate how we
leverage media coverage for improved community
relations, capacity building and facilitating the
donations of goods and services
13. Objectives
3. Doing More with Less
Law Enforcement Agencies throughout the nation serve
their communities while coping with the realities of
diminishing resources
Who has an unlimited budget? Anyone?
Your presenters will explain how to leverage the fiscal
benefits of a joint CIT / homeless outreach team
through inter-agency cooperation and community
partnerships
14. The Concept: Why our Program Works
HCSO and TPD have jointly developed a combined
CIT and homeless outreach program
We proactively meet the needs of the highest system
utilizers while minimizing the likelihood of future crisis
situations
Up to 46% of chronically homeless persons suffer from
mental illness and / or substance abuse issues (source: NAMI)
―If you want to go fishing, go where the fish are‖
15. The Concept: Why our Program Works
0
100000
200000
300000
Days in Jail by Top Consumers
(Each has 20-157 arrests)
17. A Classic Example
Murray Barr AKA ―Million Dollar Murray‖ was
homeless in Reno, Nevada
―If you totted (sic) up all his hospital bills for the ten
years that he had been on the streets—as well as
substance-abuse-treatment costs, doctors’ fees, and
other expenses—Murray Barr probably ran up a
medical bill as large as anyone in the state of
Nevada‖
18. A Classic Example
―It cost us one million dollars not to do something
about Murray‖
(Source: Malcolm Gladwell, www.gladwell.com)
20. Integrating CIT and Homeless Outreach
Our model is based on street engagement
We go to the clients – we do not wait for them to come
to us
Many are located during outreach events
We conduct vulnerability surveys (VI/SPDAT)
Mental illness, addictions, medical problems are
diagnosed before they reach a crisis point
26. Integrating CIT and Homeless Outreach
A Hillsborough County deputy tried to serve an
eviction notice to 59-year-old William Paxton Elliott
Elliott was armed and confronted the deputy
The deputy tried to protect himself by locking
himself in a bathroom
The deputy was able to escape
The suspect then barricaded himself inside the unit
32. Integrating CIT and Homeless Outreach
John lived on a cardboard box in downtown Tampa
He described himself as ―invisible‖
Has a mental health diagnosis
I discovered that he had $42,000 in the bank
John now lives in permanent housing
35. Integrating CIT and Homeless Outreach
Almost homeless, 74-year-old vet benefits from
outreach (Source: Tampa Tribune)
36. Integrating CIT and Homeless Outreach
Daniel, 74, was living on $600 a month from his
part-time job at a car wash
He lived on the front porch in a dilapidated house
without heat
He never had a bank account
Dep. Krager took Daniel to a local bank and helped
him open an account
He received $14,000 in past-due benefits
Daniel is now permanently housed, receiving a $1,400
monthly pension
39. Integrating CIT and Homeless Outreach
Rocky and Evelyn have been homeless for 3 years
They have been together for 22 years
They both suffer from disabling conditions
They wanted to get married and get into housing
50. Media Relations & Social Media
Orlando Sentinel - Young Homeless Family Gets
Shuffled in Good Intentions – April 18, 2016
―In the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished file, two Goodwill
Industries workers who tried to help a young homeless
mother and her three children get off the streets have
incurred the wrath of Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
and the Tampa Police Department after the family was sent
there via Greyhound bus‖.
57. We Offer These Services
Full-service crisis intervention teams
Birth certificates
This is a barrier to permanent housing
Service providers will not fund
This is funded through church donations
Social Security cards
Florida ID cards
We have an MOU (agreement) with the Tax Collector
Immigration documents for ID cards
Marriage certificates for ID cards
58. We Offer These Services
Medicaid/Medicare
VA benefits and programs (for veterans)
Hillsborough County Health Care
Bus passes
Long distance to reunite clients with their families
We verify that the client has a support network in place
Local passes for clients get to court, doctors
appointments and job interviews
59. We Offer These Services
Verifications of Disability to qualify for benefits
Collaborate with the city prosecutor on the
Municipal Diversion Agreement (MDA)
Defendants willing to receive assistance can have their
charges dismissed in 30 days
Collaborate with the Office of the Public Defender
on clients with criminal charges that are mentally ill
and homeless
60. We Offer These Services
Provide toiletries, clothing & items necessary for
street survival to clients
Assist with clothing for job interviews
Perform media relations functions
Conduct monthly outreach events throughout the
county, including events with the VA
Annual Point-in-Time Count (Homeless Census)
61. Community Collaboration
We attend meetings with:
Florida CIT Coalition
Partners in Crisis
Hillsborough County Acute Care Partnership
Hillsborough County Continuum of Care
SPAN (Service Providers Advisory Network)
VA – HUD VASH program for veterans
PIP (Pre-Trial Intercept) Program
Hillsborough Safe and Sound
62. Community Collaboration
We have developed partnerships with the following
agencies:
Agency for Community Treatment Services (ACTS)
Gracepoint Wellness
Tampa Crossroads
James A. Haley Veterans Hospital
Hillsborough County Homeless Services
Catholic Charities
Salvation Army
63. Community Collaboration
We have developed partnerships with the following
agencies:
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Hillsborough County Tax Collector
Clerk Of the 13th Circuit Court – Civil
Lazy Days Employee Foundation
Metropolitan Ministries
Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative (THHI)
64. How Much is Our Annual Budget?
Anyone? Anyone?
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO)
$
Tampa Police Department
$
65. How Much is Our Annual Budget?
Anyone? Anyone?
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO)
$ ZERO
Tampa Police Department
$ ZERO
66. How Much is Our Annual Budget?
Anyone? Anyone?
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO)
$ ZERO
Tampa Police Department
$ ZERO
We operate our programs at no cost to the
taxpayers (except salaries and vehicles)
67. •We hope you enjoyd our presentation
•Are there any questions?
Thank You for Attending
68. • Dep. Stephanie Krager:
• skrager@hcso.tampa.fl.us
• Ofc. Daniel McDonald
• daniel.mcdonald@tampagov.net
Thank You for Attending
