An Allegheny County program that sends behavioral health first responders to answer non-violent 911 calls will expand early next year.
The pilot alternate response program, which officials dubbed a “fourth branch of emergency services,” launched in Penn Hills and Monroeville in October. And at a press conference touting the program’s success Tuesday, officials said the program is a test of a “trauma-informed approach” to emergencies.
“Though Allegheny County has a robust behavioral health system … residents [experiencing a mental health crisis] often call 911 because that's the number that they know,” said Erin Dalton, director of the county Department of Human Services. “And when they call, often the only person who is available to them is law enforcement. And often those interventions don't require police, EMS or first responders. They require a different kind of responder altogether.”
The initiative is led by more than two dozen behavioral health specialists, known as the A-Team, through the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Resources for Human Development. Team members answer human service and behavioral 911 calls instead of, or alongside, law enforcement.
So far, the team has responded to 41 calls. When police get a call involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis, the team goes in to help the caller through the episode. They de-escalate crises, do behavioral health screenings, and connect residents with community resources that can offer follow-up care.
“Not every 911 call requires law enforcement,” said Penn Hills police chief Ronald Como. He noted that though police are often the first responders to mental-health crises, they typically lack the kind of specialized training needed to address the situation. “In some events, the presence of law enforcement can even further [escalate] the situation, which we don't want to do,” he added.
Dalton said the alternate response program allows law enforcement to focus on the calls that only they can respond to, while ensuring that individuals in crisis receive needed care.
“This program is a critical step towards a more just and compassionate system,” Dalton said.
Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato included the initiative in her administration’s “All In Allegheny” plan after she took office earlier this year. On Tuesday she called the initiative a “fundamental shift” in the county’s approach to public safety and behavioral health.
“Instead of relying solely on traditional municipal first responders, we've co-designed a system that prioritizes de-escalation, mental health expertise and connections to community-based services,” she said. “For individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis, this means they'll receive the right care from the right people at the right time.”
The A-Team responds to non-violent, non-medical 9-1-1 calls at the request of the participating police departments from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. And program director Jon Chillinsky said that many of the calls involve people experiencing psychosis. The team might also mediate domestic disputes or provide support for criminal cases, should the police request their help.
“Our interventions have not only prevented crises from escalating, but have also helped individuals begin their journey towards recovery and stability,” he said.
The 41 calls the A-Team has responded to in the last two months represent just a small fragment of the 1.4 million calls fielded by more than 400 first responder agencies countywide in a year. But county Emergency Services chief Matthew Brown said officials have already seen positive impacts from the program.
“The A-Team fills a gap in the first responder continuum that's been unfilled for far too long and ensures our county’s residents will have access to the support they deserve in their times of need,” he said.
Services will expand next month to McKees Rocks and some county-operated public-housing complexes.
