Mental Health Care Shouldn’t Come in a Police Car
Ron Bruno, a retired Utah police officer and CEO of Crisis Response Programs and Training, says mental health shouldn't come in a police car.
Milwaukee County on Providing the Right Care at the Right Place and at the Right Time
Michele LeCloux believes 988 has the potential to decrease the stigma associated with mental health. “I’m excited for 988 and to see how it changes the general perception of mental health,” she says. LeCloux is the crisis services coordinator at the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services Behavioral
Why Partnering With 911 and First Responders Is Crucial to the Success of 988
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
Austin’s 911 Call Center Integrates Mental Health Call Crisis Diversion
In the City of Austin, when a person dials 911, the call taker asks, “Are you calling for police, fire, EMS, or mental health services?” Adding mental health as an option is groundbreaking and allows people in the community to identify whether a psychiatric concern precipitated the call or is
Preston Looper on How It’s Time to Standardize Mobile Crisis Services
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
Georgia’s Crisis System Transformation and Lessons Learned in Anticipation of 988
It’s April 2020–the early days of the Covid pandemic and the height of lockdown in Georgia. A teen who is suicidal shows up to an emergency department twice, but no facility in the state will take him because he has Covid. He’s asymptomatic and will test positive for the next
Victor Armstrong on Race, Mental Health, and How Removing Police Alone Is Not the Answer
Victor Armstrong, MSW, says, as it exists now, the behavioral health system is inherently flawed for African Americans, pointing out that treatment modalities and the way they’re framed “don’t take into account the nuances of race, culture, or ethnicity.” Armstrong, who is the director of the North Carolina Division for
Megan Gleason on Partnering with the FBI to Better Serve People in Crisis
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
Erica Chestnut-Ramirez on Mobile Crisis as the First Responders of Behavioral Health
Erica Chestnut-Ramirez says mobile crisis is person-centered and therapeutic and has a high stabilization rate. “That means we can keep people in the community, and they don’t have to go to higher level, higher-cost services.”
Law Enforcement Are Critical Stakeholders in Behavioral Health Crisis Services
Nick Margiotta, president of Crisis System Solutions and retired Phoenix police officer, says law enforcement are critical stakeholders in behavioral health crisis services.
