Announces launch of public dashboard to increase information, access, and transparency
BALTIMORE, MD. (Thursday, June 30, 2022) -Today, behavioral health professionals and Mayor Brandon M. Scott have teamed up with health, clinical and community experts to provide updates on the 9-1- 1 Diversion Behavioral Health Pilot launched in June 2021 and share plans to expand the program. Read also : Nancy Messonnier appointed dean of the Gillings School of Global Public Health UNC-Chapel Hill. Baltimore has served as a national leader as an authority, working to divert some 9-1-1 calls to community partners and health professionals.
When 9-1-1 callers identify a call as appropriate for diverting they transfer the call to the Here2Help line, a mental health service line owned by Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. (BCRI) manages and trains mental health professionals. Here2Help can answer a phone call or send a team of answering doctors. The pilot program began with the diversion of two types of suicide calls, and through the quality assurance system, in April 2022, the program expanded to include the same three types of calls.
“Explaining the role of the police to the community is one of the most important decisions that any local government can make. Clearly, the principles of policing, public safety, and addressing the needs of those with health problems does not provide the best results.for our residents, “said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This strategic initiative is part of a visionary approach to surveillance that prevents people from engaging in unnecessary interactions with the police and diverting them to activities and resources that will suit their needs. I am grateful for the support. provided by Senator Van Hollen. in partnership with the Baltimore Behavioral Health System and Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. to ensure the sustainability of this important program. “
The main purpose of this pilot program is to tailor individuals to the most appropriate resources when they seek help and to reduce unnecessary collisions with police and people in conflict. This strategy is in line with federal guidelines, promotes best practices, and our legal compliance requirements and is committed to addressing gaps in public health systems. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen was the national adviser to divert 9-1-1 and brought in $ 2 million in federal funding earlier this year to expand the pilot program.
“Health crisis issues involve the participation of professionals in the field. This is why I present a response to crisis situations that do not require participation in the successor of the 9 -1-1 Diversion Pilot Program and funding. federal for this program.After the first year of operation, the dementia program helped connect people in conflict with mental health professionals while allowing Baltimore Police to prioritize other health needs. people like violence. Crime, “said Senator Chris Van Hollen. “I will continue to work with Mayor Scott and our state and federal partners to provide additional resources for public safety programs that are vital to our communities and to prevent crime on our streets.”
Through this federal investment, the partnership will expand its pilot health diversion program to get a non-police response to additional incoming health calls through 9-1-1 per:
At present the incidence of behavioral health is limited to those over the age of 18 and above. This provision stems from the widening gap in child and youth violence services in Baltimore. Creating awareness groups for children and young people will allow the driver to expand his / her capacity by diverting 9-1-1 received calls from young people and families to mobile answering groups that can serve everyone. child in the City. Expansion to include youth in the program has been a priority identified by community members and stakeholders such as the Planning and Implementation Committee (CPIC). Considering the recording of these calls, the high-pressure mode of handling 9-1-1 calls, and specific training callers achieve behavioral health; there is a need for periodic support for callers along with making appropriate separation and connecting callers to the required resources. Coordinating a behavioral health worker in a 9-1-1 call center is a common practice in many communities across the country. The main task of physicians will be to support 9-1-1 callers to eliminate conflicts and conduct research to determine the most appropriate response. As the city’s behavioral health agency, the Baltimore Behavioral Health System (BHSB) will partner with the city to oversee the planning and implementation of this expansion.
“We know that many of the behavioral health calls that come to 911 can be resolved safely without the police,” said Crista M. Taylor, president and CEO of the Baltimore Health System. “The 9-1-1 turnaround program is changing the way we help people with acute mental health emergencies by changing some calls to behavioral health professionals to the city’s mental health counselors at Here2Help.”
The internal working group, which includes the data analyst and the director of health of the Baltimore City Department of Fire, continues to provide quality assurance. Through the data partners program, which is located in the mayor’s office of Services and Innovation, a public dashboard has been created and is now available to residents to track the continued impact of the pilot’s health-changing behaviors.
This pilot program is part of the City’s Behavioral Health Gap Implementation Plan. The city has developed an action plan to address the recommendations identified in the 2019 Public Health Outreach Survey Report.
A section of the consent law spoke specifically about responses to behavioral health crises, where the city agreed “to conduct assessments to identify gaps in health care systems, recommend solutions, and assist in implement the recommendations effectively. ” In response to this decision, the city has provided a number of years-long mechanism to reduce contact with police and people in conflict and is committed to implementing coercive measures to fill the gap that results in these unnecessary interactions. not.
