As Washington’s largest 911 call center, serving 38 police and fire agencies in Pierce County, South Sound 911 handles approximately 1 million calls per year for people experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis. There is an increase in the number of things related to people who are
Aiming to provide more support to these callers, the Emergency 911 Center is implementing a similar We launched our first model. The goal of this collaboration is to make it easier and faster for dispatchers to route behavioral health calls from first responders to mental health professionals.
The new program, launched in June, is one of only three in the state created through a year-long pilot program known as the Mental Health Crisis Call Diversion Initiative. The effort is a partnership between the Washington Department of Health and his three providers, which oversee the state’s 988 mental health hotlines.
Volunteers of America, the designated 998 provider for phone lines throughout Western Washington except King County, operates a colocation facility in Tacoma in partnership with South Sound 911. The program started this summer with just one counselor, but if it’s at full strength, he’ll have six people plus a coordinator, and he’ll handle 988 calls. The partnership currently operates during peak hours from 2pm to midnight, but once fully staffed he plans to be available 24/7.
The need for the program is based on the fact that “many calls to 911, some of which may have a mental health or behavioral health component, are more focused on behavioral health than law enforcement responses.” “This comes from the understanding that a response may be more beneficial,” VOA 988 Courtney Colwell said. director.
The Tacoma colocation hub will be joined by similar pilot centers in the Seattle and Spokane areas. Recently released 988 Mental health hotline.
The three-digit number was expanded and implemented by the Washington State Legislature in 2022. It was meant to replace the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Hotline. According to , the plan was launched as suicide rates rose nationally that year. data From the Centers for Disease Control.
Between 7,000 and 8,600 Washington residents called the 988 hotline each month during the first year of implementation. November report It was discovered by the Washington State Department of Health.
Before launching the colocation center, the Suicide Prevention Hotline had 988 staff members and their predecessors working alongside 911 staff members. 911 dispatchers regularly made referrals, or “handoffs,” to her mental health hotline. But being in separate spaces and operating independently of each other sometimes led to inefficiencies and limitations, said Deanna Caber, South Sound 911’s communications center manager.
In addition to other challenges, callers can feel like they’re being bounced between different agencies, which can leave them unable to receive proper care and potentially worsen the crisis. She said there is. People in crisis may also not be aware of the difference between the two numbers or that 988 exists, and may not know who to call, she says.
“Many people who call in a crisis end up calling police or fire because they called 911,” Caber said. “On the other hand, if they had called 988, they could have been immediately connected to a counselor or someone who could provide emotional or crisis support in that moment.”
The new colocation hub eliminates many of these concerns and makes supporting callers easier and faster throughout the call, Caber said. It also ensures that callers get an appropriate response no matter which number they dial.
“Our real goal was to build a foolproof approach that didn’t require someone in crisis to have to decipher or try to know which number is the right number to call.” she said. “We just connect them to the resources that are best suited to their situation.”
Colwell said he hopes having 988 crisis counselors co-located on the South Sound 911 campus will provide better care for people in crisis and create opportunities for better outcomes. He said 911 numbers and dispatchers could also be opened up for others to handle other emergencies. . Counselors, who have training ranging from master’s-level clinicians to those with bachelor’s degrees and certified peer support certifications, can spend more time with callers than 911 operators, she said.
Generally, if a person is having a mental health crisis or has suicidal thoughts, but is not a threat to themselves or others, the call will be transferred to a counselor. For situations that require mental health support or first responders, counselors can also be involved at the same time as dispatchers.
“I think this is a great program,” said Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey. The police department is one of 38 agencies in the county that rely on South Sound 911.
Anecdotally, Busey said officers are responding to mental health-related calls every day, and the number has increased significantly. He said the cohabitation program could reduce patrol responses and lead to better outcomes for callers seeking behavioral health professionals.
Early evidence suggests that is the case. Colwell said that in his 100 days of work in 2023, his colocated hub finished with his 82% call transfer rate. This means the call was completely diverted from 911 and law enforcement systems and instead responded to by his 988 counselors.
“Many success stories have emerged during this period and we continue to see positive results,” she said.
Connor Wilson is a Murrow News Fellow and a reporter for the Kitsap Sun and Gig Harbor Now, a nonprofit newsroom based in Gig Harbor, through a program administered by Washington State University.
