06/01/2026
Emergency calls related to mental health crises are on the rise, and the Ingham County 911 Dispatch Center has imbedded a master’s level therapist to address calls related to mental health, social work, and other crises. This collaboration between Ingham County and CMHA-CEI helps improve early response and support systems.
The 911 collaboration is located at the 911 Dispatch Center in Lansing, Michigan and funded by Ingham County. Mental Health calls have become an increasingly prevalent issue in the realm of public safety. In recent years, there has been a significant rise in the number of emergency calls related to mental health crisis. The complex nature of mental health issues requires a specialized approach. By addressing this issue at one of the first points of contact, 911, we can work towards a system that prioritizes the well-being and safety of individuals experiencing mental health crises, while ensuring the effectiveness and efficienty of public safety responses.
“The collaboration began with a critical question: should law enforcement be the ones responding to behavioral health crises? Our goal was to bring social work directly into the field. Wayne State examined the situation, and that’s where this initiative took root. It’s a fresh approach to handling 911 calls, and we’re still in the early stages—learning, exploring, and figuring out the best ways to follow up with those in crisis,” said Shana Badgley, CMHA-CEI Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) Director.
This master’s level clinician is imbedded in a 24-hour work environment. The 911 Center Crisis Call Taker receives and assesses emergency and non-emergency calls related to mental health, social work, Social Determinants of Health, and other types of non-violent/criminal crises. The role includes determining the nature and priority of the crisis, providing immediate mental health support, attempting to resolve the callers issue without emergency services, and coordinating with emergency and community services as needed. When appropriate, this staff deploys to the crisis situation for intervention, treatment, and follow through. “This approach creates a deeper connection in crisis response. Collaboration puts us on the front lines, allowing us to help in a bigger, more meaningful way. We’re learning who is calling, identifying who needs our support, and strengthening our partnership with local law enforcement,” explained Gwen Williams, CMHA-CEI AMHS Supervisor.
The other role the 911 therapist plays is to follow up on frequent callers to 911 and try to engage with them with outreach/mobile to connect and give treatment options, increase alternatives to calling 911 by using mobile, etc. In quarter 1, 24 % of the callers were 5 or more calls to 911. These 73 people were followed up on by the Crisis Call Taker.
Russell Stratton, the 9-1-1 Center Crisis Call Taker for Ingham County 9-1-1 Central Dispatch, explains the importance of the collaboration, "every moment counts when someone is struggling to meet the demands of life while also facing internal conflict. It is my hope that early recognition of individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges—particularly during one of their first interactions with emergency services—will lead to faster behavioral health interventions and potentially long-term preventative care. By improving early response and support systems, communities can better connect vulnerable individuals with the resources they need before a crisis escalates." Russell has been in the position for over a year and hopes that the collaboration will continue to strengthen CMHA-CEI's ongoing efforts to connect with individuals across the communities by expanding access to comprehensive behavioral health services.
We have 1 clinician currently and as the position develops, we will fill another position, with the hopes to provide 12 hours a day coverage of this service. Recently, we have determined that training the clinician in 911 call taker training/protocols will be beneficial to increase credibility and ease within the call center. We are working with Wayne State University in developing data to assist us in the number of calls our clinician is involved in and how they have been able to provide intervention and follow up. A couple of early data points are that in quarter 1, there were 1097 calls that needed a mental health response.
Shana concluded, “We’re fully committed to pivoting and understanding whether we’re truly meeting the community’s needs. I value partnerships like this, where we can adapt and make sure our efforts reach the people who need them the most. Everyone is contributing ideas, listening, and collaborating to find the best ways to support individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.”
