Rebuilding Trust, Reimagining Crisis Response: How New Bedford’s EAPS Partnership Is Transforming Public Safety

In New Bedford, Massachusetts, a quiet transformation is underway. What began as a collaboration between the city’s health department, the police department, Child and Family Services, and North Star, has become a model for how communities can respond to crisis with compassion, not punishment.

With support from PIH-US, the Equitable Approaches to Public Safety (EAPS) initiative is bridging the gap between public health and public safety by bringing clinicians and officers together to ensure behavioral health emergencies are met with care. Since its launch, EAPS has trained dispatchers and officers, built cross-sector data systems, and created a co-response protocol that pairs mental health professionals with officers in the field.

Between October 2024 and March 2025, over 1,500 emergency calls for behavioral health concerns came through New Bedford dispatch. Thanks to EAPS, clinicians co-responded to 230 calls and followed up directly on 64 more, ensuring individuals in crisis were connected to care instead of the criminal justice system. The results have been striking: within the first month of using the cross-sector data system, the number of calls doubled, as officers increasingly requested clinical support, leading to a 100% increase in diversions to care.

Sgt. David Jorge of the New Bedford Police Department has witnessed the change firsthand.

“Within the first month of implementing the [new] co-response process, the number of calls doubled, and the officers are now requesting clinicians at a higher volume than previously,” he said. “We’re making strong improvements and having a big impact on servicing calls for mental health.”

He credits the success to the hands–on, PIH–US-supported training and the clear understanding it fostered between police and behavioral health providers.

“It was really about training them on the difference between the two different agencies,” Sgt. Jorge explained. “Showing them the difference between a clinical and crisis situation, what needs a clinician, what needs an emergency response. That clarity has been key.”

Beyond the numbers, EAPS is rebuilding something even more vital: trust. Through regular outreach events and a consistent community presence, officers, clinicians, and peer recovery coaches are reconnecting with residents.

“We’re out there literally trying to build relationships,” Sgt. Jorge said. “When people see a familiar face—someone who speaks their language, who listens—they begin to see we’re here to help, not to fear. That’s been incredibly positive.”

Collaboration has been central to this success. With PIH-US’s support, the New Bedford Health Department has strengthened relationships between the police department and the partner agencies, NorthStar and Child & Family Services.

“PIH-US’s role in rebuilding these relationships is a contributing factor to driving the strength of the EAPS program,” Sgt. Jorge noted. “We’ve made tremendous headway working together, and the program is stronger because of it.”

The work is ongoing, with the team continually refining training and data-sharing processes. But the impact is clear: EAPS is changing how the city responds to behavioral health crises and reshaping how the community sees public safety.

“The mental health co-response has been incredible,” said Sgt. Jorge. “The feedback from the community, the officers, and the agencies has been really beneficial. We’re seeing more positive outcomes because of this work and it’s only getting better.”