Child and adolescent mental health providers and families are hopeful that 988 will help shift the crisis response for young people away from 911. However, Dr. Jeff Bostic says existing mental health systems have been primarily built for people ages 18 to 65. The same is true for mental health
In 2019, Ron Bruno, a retired Utah police officer and executive director at Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) International, told #CrisisTalk that “mental healthcare shouldn’t come in a police car.” More than two years later, he says the seemingly obvious statement remains controversial, especially in places that use law enforcement as
In January 2020, a point-in-time count in the United States revealed homelessness continues to be a public health emergency. There were 580,466 people experiencing homelessness on a single night, a 2.2% percent jump from the previous year. Nearly 40% were unsheltered and living in abandoned buildings, cars, encampments, parks, or
In anticipation of 988—the three-digit number for mental health, substance use, and suicidal crisis telecom companies must make live by July 16, 2022—communities throughout the United States are examining their crisis systems. “They want to ensure there are rapid and appropriate responses in place that match people’s needs,” says Amy
As communities explore ways to divert behavioral health and quality of life crises from law enforcement, they’re also asking when and how to best collaborate with police in the safest and least restrictive way for people in distress. This shift is necessary for people overall, says Dr. Margie Balfour, chief
In Northeast Oklahoma, there are nearly 6,000 “mental health machine” iPads in circulation. With just the press of a button, first responders, hospitals, and people in crisis can immediately connect face-to-face with the Grand Lake Mental Health Center crisis line. The Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, which serves adults, children,
Mobile crisis services are increasingly in the limelight. Since the onset of the Covid pandemic, telehealth and mobile crisis teams have allowed for much-needed flexibility in care amidst lockdowns and physical distancing requirements. Simultaneously, a cultural push for reimagining public safety has resulted in communities demanding a clear pathway for
Matthew L. Goldman, M.D., M.S., medical director of Comprehensive Crisis Services at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, says communities need to buckle down now to ensure that 988, the three-digit number the FCC designated to mirror 911 for mental health and suicide crises, fulfills its potential when it
When people think of the FBI, they imagine what they see in films: tropes of action-packed espionage and FBI agents chasing down serial killers. Megan Gleason just completed the FBI Citizens Academy and says that some of what we see in movies isn’t that far off. “The FBI is a
As communities struggle with COVID-19 and increasingly respond to emergency rules, Major Sam Cochran (ret.), co-chair of CIT International’s Board of Directors, said leaders must support and keep open essential mental health crisis services. He shared with #CrisisTalk that without them, the default mental healthcare provider and law enforcement drop
Sign up to read our latest articles and
participate in the 988 Crisis Learning
Community Jam