The Kent County Sheriff’s Office and Network180 have partnered for this new program.
“The idea came about of putting a master’s level clinician in the 9-1-1 dispatch center.”
Kenny Garvin is Associate Director of Community-Based Crisis Services for Network180, Kent County’s community mental health authority offering behavioral health care. He says when mental health-focused calls inevitably come into 911, operators will have an option beyond requesting police, fire, and EMS assistance.
“But could transfer it then to someone who has experience and training to work with those who are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.”
Garvin says that, currently, they have one master’s level clinician staffed at the center during normal business hours, but there are plans to train and staff more. Network180 can also dispatch a mobile crisis response team.
“That sends two clinicians out to the community to meet with folks face to face.”
That mobile crisis team will be expanding its hours to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“So though we aren’t with this particular project able to necessarily have a clinician in the dispatch center 24 hours a day, we chose specific hours where we thought those calls would be coming in and they could be most utilized to be able to dispatch that team.”
