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Public safety answering points, like 911, and law enforcement dispatch centers, are often the first points of contact in a crisis situation. Studies have shown that up to 20% of 911 calls in the United States are behavioral health crises (i.e., mental health or substance use). Dispatch call center diversion is an emerging strategy that enables trained dispatchers to identify behavioral health-related calls and transfer them to appropriate crisis call centers and mobile crisis teams, connecting individuals to care quickly. This workshop will explore how partnerships between dispatch centers, law enforcement, and crisis care providers can create effective diversion pathways, improving outcomes for behavioral health crisis callers by providing them with the most suitable crisis response, while also reducing the burden on public safety answering points like 911.  

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the role of dispatch call centers in crisis response and diversion.
• Identify key components of effective partnerships between dispatch, law enforcement, and crisis care systems.
• Apply strategies to develop and/or enhance call triage protocol, dispatcher training opportunities, and cross-system collaboration in individual communities.

Speaker:

• Sandri Kramer, Director of Community Relations and Special Projects, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services

There will be an information exchange with the presenters addressing questions submitted live and during the webinar registration process.