Cleveland, OH — In a significant move to enhance its emergency response system, Cleveland will integrate mental health clinicians into its 911 dispatch center to improve the handling of mental health crisis calls. This initiative aims to reduce police involvement in such cases and ensure callers receive the appropriate mental health resources.
In October, Cleveland was awarded nearly $550,000 through a federal grant to upgrade its 911 systems and embed mental health professionals within its dispatch center. With additional funding from the Cleveland Foundation and matching contributions from the city, the total funding now exceeds $800,000.
The funding supports “Connect and Protect,” a three-year program designed to integrate mental health expertise into emergency response. The first year focuses on planning, while the second year will see the addition of two clinicians to the dispatch center. By the third year, the program will expand to include three clinicians.
Angela Cecys, senior strategist for public safety and health with the Cleveland Department of Public Health, explained that call takers will be able to transfer low-level mental health crisis calls to the clinicians. These professionals can de-escalate situations over the phone, potentially preventing unnecessary police involvement.
“The clinicians can divert calls from police and provide callers with mental health resources that would more effectively help that person,” Cecys said. This approach aims to ensure that the most appropriate response is provided for each crisis call.
In addition to embedding clinicians, the grant will fund mental health training for all dispatchers, equipping them with the skills needed to identify and manage mental health crises effectively.
The city is currently finalizing the salaries for the clinician dispatchers as part of the program’s planning phase.
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