When help hurts: D.C. under fire for mental health police response

After months of reporting, interviews, and research, I'm proud to share my capstone project: a feature piece examining how Washington, D.C. handles mental health crises and the urgent questions being raised about police involvement.
Despite new programs like co-response teams, D.C. is facing a federal lawsuit, a shortage of trained mental health responders, and troubling use-of-force rates when it comes to people in psychiatric emergencies.
I spoke with police officers, dispatch experts, mental health advocates, peer counselors, and community advocates to understand where the system is falling short and where real change could happen.
Huge thanks to everyone who shared their time, expertise, and lived experience with me. Their voices made this story possible.
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