Cleveland is taking steps to improve its emergency response to mental health crises by adding mental health clinicians to its dispatch center. The goal is to better identify mental health crisis calls and provide appropriate support. The addition of these clinicians may reduce the need for police response to mental health crises and help connect callers to the resources they need.
With an almost $550,000 federal grant awarded to update the 911 system and include mental health clinicians in the dispatch center, the funding for this initiative has now exceeded $800,000 with contributions from the Cleveland Foundation and matching funds from the city. The program, called “Connect and Protect,” will be rolled out over three years, with a planning phase in year one and the addition of two clinicians in year two and three in year three.
The clinicians in the dispatch center will be able to de-escalate situations over the phone, potentially preventing unnecessary police responses to low-level mental health crisis calls. They will also be able to provide callers with mental health resources and help dispatchers identify the most appropriate response for each crisis call. Additionally, the grant will fund mental health training for all dispatchers to better handle these types of situations.
As the city finalizes its plan for the new program, they are deciding on the salaries for the clinician dispatchers. This initiative is an important step in improving the city’s response to mental health crises and ensuring that callers receive the appropriate support and resources they need.