The Fifth Branch

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The Fifth Branch

Your house is on fire; the fire department responds. You are sick; EMS gets dispatched. Shots are fired, and law enforcement comes. But who responds when the call is about mental illness, addiction, or suicidal thoughts? The Fifth Branch is a special series by Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project, exploring how one community in Durham, NC, is transforming crisis response. Over three episodes, meet the people reimagining safety and support. Follow their journey to launch this program, ensure its effectiveness, and navigate the challenges of defining its scope. Episodes drop July 18, July 25 and August 1, 2024. Love The Fifth Branch? Subscribe to Tradeoffs for weekly insights into the complex world of healthcare. Subscribe at tradeoffs.org/subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Season 1

  1. EPISODE 1

    The Fifth Branch: Convincing the Cops

    How do you convince police officers that it makes sense to send unarmed mental health workers to some 911 calls? Guests: Patrice Andrews, Police Chief, Durham Police Department Ryan Smith, Director, Durham Department of Community Safety Sgt. Dan Leeder, Durham Police Department Abena Bediako, Clinical Manager, Durham Department of Community Safety Christie Thompson, Staff Writer, The Marshall Project EMS, Fire, Police and the 911 Call Center make up the existing four branches of the public safety system. A special series from Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project explores how a city radically changes its response to people in crisis, by creating a fifth branch.  Nearly half of the country’s 50 largest cities - including San Francisco, New York, Houston, Chicago - have launched programs to send unarmed responders to 911 calls historically handled by cops. In the process creating a new generation of first responders made up of clinicians, EMTs and unarmed mental health workers all responding to people who struggle with addiction, homelessness and mental illness.  To understand this work we head to Durham, North Carolina, which has - in the face of skepticism and downright opposition - built one of the most comprehensive programs in the country. How did Durham pull off what so many cities have struggled to do? Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project examine this groundbreaking work and the challenges it’s facing, both in Durham and around the country. Learn more on our website. Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news. Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    The Fifth Branch: Keeping People Safe

    We look at HEART’s impact on the safety of Durham residents in crisis, the mental health workers responding, and the police. Guests: David Prater, Peer Support Specialist, Durham Department of Community Safety Ryan Smith, Director, Durham Department of Community Safety Yolanda, Durham resident Sgt. Dan Leeder, Durham Police Department Patrice Andrews, Police Chief, Durham Police Department Christie Thompson, Staff Writer, The Marshall Project EMS, Fire, Police and the 911 Call Center make up the existing four branches of the public safety system. A special series from Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project explores how a city radically changes its response to people in crisis, by creating a fifth branch.  Nearly half of the country’s 50 largest cities - including San Francisco, New York, Houston, Chicago - have launched programs to send unarmed responders to 911 calls historically handled by cops. In the process creating a new generation of first responders made up of clinicians, EMTs and unarmed mental health workers all responding to people who struggle with addiction, homelessness and mental illness.  To understand this work we head to Durham, North Carolina, which has - in the face of skepticism and downright opposition - built one of the most comprehensive programs in the country. How did Durham pull off what so many cities have struggled to do? Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project examine this groundbreaking work and the challenges it’s facing, both in Durham and around the country. The Marshall Project's Christie Thompson reports on the state of alternative crisis response across the country. Learn more on our website. Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news. Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    The Fifth Branch: Last Line of Care

    Alternative response teams are being asked to tackle vexing problems: mental illness, homelessness, addiction. How much can they actually do? We explore how Durham grapples with connecting people to long-term care and support, and where the city draws the line between crisis response and social services. Guests: Ryan Smith, Director, Durham Community Safety Department Sammetta Cutler, Peer Support Specialist, Durham Community Safety Department Sarah Hall, Durham resident David Prater, Peer Support Specialist, Durham Community Safety Department John Warasila, Real estate developer and architect, Alliance Architecture Bo Ferguson, Deputy City Manager, Durham Patrice Andrews, Police Chief, Durham Police Department Christie Thompson, Staff Writer, The Marshall Project Allison Casey, EMT, Durham Community Safety Department EMS, Fire, Police and the 911 Call Center make up the existing four branches of the public safety system. A special series from Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project explores how a city radically changes its response to people in crisis, by creating a fifth branch.  Nearly half of the country’s 50 largest cities - including San Francisco, New York, Houston, Chicago - have launched programs to send unarmed responders to 911 calls historically handled by cops. In the process creating a new generation of first responders made up of clinicians, EMTs and unarmed mental health workers all responding to people who struggle with addiction, homelessness and mental illness.  To understand this work we head to Durham, North Carolina, which has - in the face of skepticism and downright opposition - built one of the most comprehensive programs in the country. How did Durham pull off what so many cities have struggled to do? Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project examine this groundbreaking work and the challenges it’s facing, both in Durham and around the country. Learn more on our website. Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news. Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min

  4. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Tradeoffs Presents: The Fifth Branch

    EMS, Fire, Police and the 911 Call Center make up the existing four branches of the public safety system. A special series from Tradeoffs and the Marshall Project explores how a city radically changes its response to people in crisis, by creating a fifth branch.  Nearly half of the country’s 50 largest cities—including San Francisco, New York, Houston, Chicago—have launched programs to send unarmed responders to 911 calls historically handled by cops. In the process creating a new generation of first responders made up of clinicians, EMTs and unarmed mental health workers all responding to people who struggle with addiction, homelessness and mental illness.  To understand this work we head to Durham, North Carolina, which has—in the face of skepticism and downright opposition—built one of the most comprehensive programs in the country. How did Durham pull off what so many cities have struggled to do? Join Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project for our new series The Fifth Branch as we examine this groundbreaking work and the challenges it’s facing, both in Durham and around the country. Episodes drop July 18, July 25 and August 1. Learn more on our website. Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news. Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    3 min

Trailer

About

Your house is on fire; the fire department responds. You are sick; EMS gets dispatched. Shots are fired, and law enforcement comes. But who responds when the call is about mental illness, addiction, or suicidal thoughts? The Fifth Branch is a special series by Tradeoffs and The Marshall Project, exploring how one community in Durham, NC, is transforming crisis response. Over three episodes, meet the people reimagining safety and support. Follow their journey to launch this program, ensure its effectiveness, and navigate the challenges of defining its scope. Episodes drop July 18, July 25 and August 1, 2024. Love The Fifth Branch? Subscribe to Tradeoffs for weekly insights into the complex world of healthcare. Subscribe at tradeoffs.org/subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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