A team of clinicians at Austin's Combined Transportation, Emergency and Communications Center answer mental health-related 911 calls, providing immediate support and resources to individuals in crisis. The program aims to divert non-violent mental health calls from police response, connecting callers with mental health services and support.
A team of clinicians field mental health -related 911 calls at Austin ’s Combined Transportation, Emergency and Communications Center.
In her mid-20s, Lilly is one of the clinicians who fields mental health-related calls at Austin’s Combined Transportation, Emergency and Communications Center, a large compound-like facility near the Mueller neighborhood., Austin altered its 911 answering script to include a mental health option — a first for any municipality in the country, according to Austin city staff.
Tonight, a man named Robert is on the line, calling from a Walmart. He tells Lilly he is looking for a respite bed where he can stay the night. He plans to travel out of town to visit family in a few days — but until then, he has nowhere to sleep. Lilly pulls up a map on her computer, finds Robert’s location and tells him how to catch the bus from the nearest bus stop. She ends the call, telling Robert to call back if he needs additional help.
Integral Care reports that C3 handled 4,849 calls last year and was able to successfully divert 87% — meaning no police response was needed.APD officers also have the option to tag in the C3 team while they are responding to a call if they think mental health assistance is needed. Then, a clinician speaks to the caller over the phone and tries to deescalate and meet their needs without a police response.
Lilly says she also tries to let these callers know about Integral Care’s 24-hour helpline , a hotline for residents who need to talk or find mental health resources. Sometimes C3 also lets callers know about 988, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.When there is a lull and Lilly has finished documenting calls, she uses the downtime to study and do class work. She’s working toward a master’s degree in professional counseling.
Mental Health Crisis 911 Austin Police Diversion Healthcare
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