Ryan Patrick Smith
@ryanindurham
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Director of Community Safety for the City of Durham and the HEART program, all-in for Durham, double-daughter-dad, fan of board games and books.
Durham, NC
Joined August 2017
In 2021, Ryan Smith was tasked with developing a new agency to figure out how to better respond to 911 calls from people in a mental health crisis. His solution? The Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team aka HEART.
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If you want to know the secret sauce to our success in Durham, it starts with the amazing humans, like David Prater, who respond with HEART to 911 calls. We believe lived experience and peer support are crucial to first response and our new 5th branch.
In Durham, NC, unarmed clinicians and social workers respond to 911 calls from people experiencing a mental health crisis. Peer specialists like David Prater, help connect those in crisis with needed services. Listen to David's story in The Fifth Branch https://t.co/RKQjZSVb5B
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Hope you can join for a virtual discussion with @MarshallProj of @tradeoffspod latest series on @CityofDurhamNC HEART program. Leading the amazing team that built this new branch of public safety has been the greatest joy of my professional life. Join the convo on Aug 15.
Join us for a virtual discussion on redefining crisis response and The Fifth Branch with @MarshallProj on August 15th. Register now and be part of the conversation! 🗓️🔗
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Serious, long-form journalism that takes on complex topics with nuance, integrity, and, dare I say, heart, feels increasingly rare. That's why I am so grateful to @tradeoffspod for taking the time to tell the story of @CityofDurhamNC alternative response program HEART.
Are unarmed crisis response teams on track to become the sea change in public safety that was promised? We talked to experts across the country to find out. Read the latest from @cm_thompson3 of the @MarshallProj and @Ryan_levi. https://t.co/p8d2LqAtpC
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New service hours start tonight for @CityofDurhamNC Community Safety’s #HEART first responders! Our unarmed crisis response teams are now operating 7 days per week until 9pm. Learn more at https://t.co/NMN5On5gE0 Thanks to Kirby, David and Karly for their compassionate care!
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The @CityofDurhamNC unarmed HEART first responders are now available 7 days a week with expanded hours (now til 7pm). Learn more about HEART and our current service area. https://t.co/2aOPlLj09i
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I appreciate all of our first responders — including @CityofDurhamNC new HEART responders — for working holidays to a make sure we can send the right response whenever it is needed. #communitysafety
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This is amazing. ❤️💛💙 #DurhamForever
Durham's unarmed first responders are making an impact, data shows
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The @CityofDurhamNC #CommunitySafety Department is recruiting licensed clinicians and #PeerSupportSpecialists to join our #alternativeresponse teams. Be part of a new team of first responders offering compassionate care to people in crisis. Lived experience is crucial expertise.
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The @CityofDurhamNC #CommunitySafety Department is excited to announce a groundbreaking career opportunity that holds harm reduction & human dignity as core principles. Be part of a new #alternativeresponse team of first responders offering compassionate care to people in crisis.
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Curious what alternative responses to 911 calls looks like? Join us at 10:45am tomorrow for a virtual town hall & hear from 3 cities already doing it. You can hear from & talk to Atlanta CAD, Denver STAR and San Francisco Street Response Team. Register at https://t.co/HVTUoygO7n
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Join tomorrow for the 1st of a 2-day town hall led by @CityofDurhamNC Community Safety & Wellness Taskforce. Join for any/all of it. We want to learn from you about how we can send the right response based on the needs of people in crisis. Register now: https://t.co/HVTUoygO7n
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Exciting to see so many cities exploring alternative responses to 911 calls. @CityofDurhamNC Community Safety Department is joining a national cohort of cities committed to advancing this work. Stay tuned for more in the coming year.
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This was only possible with our amazing partners @mckinney @advncdhindsight @DurhamDiscover who have contributed so much time and talent to help Durham get #backonthebull In a crisis, the only way to get big things done is through bold collaboration. @CityofDurhamNC
How Durham built behavioral ‘nudges’ into its reopening plans by @BloombergCities way to go #iteams Director @ryanindurham
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Thanks @ColuApp for the shout out. @CityofDurhamNC was actually the first place in NC to require face coverings. A fact for which we’re proud! We are just looking for non-punitive ways to encourage compliance. Hence the importance of behavioral science to get #backonthebull
Amazing article and execution by @ryanindurham and @CityofDurhamNC! Not only are they helping local businesses through this effort, but also they're effectively getting their residents to wear masks WITHOUT a mask mandate! Incredibly innovative!
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Working with @ncjustice @LegalAidNC @judge_maris @Durham_iteam @ncprobono @durhamncda Judge Jospehine Davis and so many more to create the DEAR program has been the greatest privilege of my professional life. Thanks @ncIMPACTsog for lifting up this work. #iteams @WhatWorksCities
Thanks @ncIMPACTsog for taking time to learn about and share the story of Durham’s efforts to become a city of second chances. We are proud to be a part of a collective effort with so many amazing partners. #iteams @CityofDurhamNC
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Excited to partner with @WhatWorksCities and @FinesandFeesJC to support other cities in reversing the harmful consequences of driver’s license suspensions and in advancing state level reforms. @Durham_iteam @BloombergCities @ncjustice @Deberry4DA @LegalAidNC @judge_maris
🚨Learning opportunity alert!🚨 We're working w/@Durham_iteam + @FinesandFeesJC to offer a new online workshop to support cities in reversing the negative impacts of driver's license suspensions on residents. Fill out the interest form for more details! https://t.co/Qndj8O2a2P
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Excited to hear my colleague @ChuckManningSr1 speak at a panel @CityLab on innovating justice and violence reduction. #iteams #CityLabDC
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Catching up on tweets post paternity leave. This one was a nice surprise. Thanks @rolandpersaud @BloombergCities I am really thankful for the opportunity to serve the city I love through my work w @Durham_iteam
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