Pima County Sheriff’s Department implemented a new program that will transform the way 911 call-takers triage calls from those in mental health crisis.
Through continued partnership with Arizona Complete Health, callers identified as having a behavioral health need- and no immediate safety, criminal or medical concern- will be transferred to the Arizona Crisis Line.
Earlier this year, the Sheriff’s Department began working closely with ACH to expand its partnership and establish a phased implementation of the call triage system.
Call-takers will divert calls to specially trained Crisis Professionals for immediate de-escalation, crisis stabilization and, if needed, dispatching of a Crisis Mobile Team.
In the traditional 911 model, first responders would have been dispatched to the scene and once on scene, would have been expected to identify the need for crisis care then request the appropriate resources- all of which causes care delays.