BAGUIO CITY (PIA) -- Personnel of the Philippine National Police and the City Health Services Office (CHSO) are now the first responders in cases of psychotic vagrants.

City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) Acting Assistant Cynthia Langagan said that during their meeting with the Anti-Mendicancy Task Force, they decided to separate the treatment of mendicants and psychotic vagrants.

"Gone are those days na kapag psychotic vagrants, ang CSWDO o si DSWD agad ang tinatawagan," Langagan said.

She said  the CHSO personnel will conduct profiling and once observed that the psychotic vagrant is violent, they will immediately call the Emergency Medical Services or the PNP to bring the client to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center(BGHMC).

"From BGHMC, it depends sa attending psychiatrist to conduct assessment sa psychotic vagrant if admissible or non-admissible," Langagan added.

Violent psychotic vagrants will stay at the BGHMC psychiatric ward. If assessed as non-violent, they will be referred to institution particularly at the Silungan Center especially if they have no family in Baguio, she said.

"Habang nasa Silungan, it is our responsibility to locate the family through social media and, in partnership with the City Health Services Office for the administration of the medicine," she said.

If the client has no family, the CSWDO will scout other institutions. She mentioned that there is a facility outside Baguio that caters to senior citizens.

Should they be able to locate the family, they will coordinate with the local government unit where the client is from for turnover and monitoring.

For cases of psychotic vagrants, the public may contact Ricky Ducas of the Mental Health Unit through 0967-211-2454. (JDP/DEG-PIA CAR)