When someone is experiencing a mental health crisis; sometimes things get out of hand, police are called, and the person just really needed help winds up hurt, in jail, or in the hospital.

Now, the City of Akron is attempting to respond in a new, more effective way. 

The Summit County Outreach Team (SCOUT) will be composed of a clinician from Portage Path Behavioral Health, a paramedic from Akron Fire, and one officer from the Akron Police Department, who will respond to calls for assistance in situations where the person is not believed to be a danger either to themselves or the community.

This new effort is a pilot project, and will start out with only one team and vehicle available Monday through Friday, 8:30AM-4:30 PM, with the goal of expanding both the hours and number of team members in the future.

This kind of response is sorely needed, according to Akron Fire Chief, Joseph Natko, who was one of several speakers at a Press Conference on Tuesday. He says that last year, they responded to more than 5,000 emergency calls for mental health issues, and there were likely many more that went unreported.

To find out more about this new program, that is a collaboration between the City of Akron, The Summit County ADM Board, and Portage Path Behavioral Health, watch the video (below) of Mayor Shammis Malik's press conference.