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Calvert County OKs agreement to link 988 crisis line, 911 dispatch and mobile crisis team
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved a memorandum of agreement to integrate the 988 suicide-prevention lifeline, 911 emergency dispatch and the county’s mobile crisis team to route low-acuity behavioral-health calls to specialized responders.
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners on July 15 approved a memorandum of agreement to integrate the federal 988 crisis line, local 911 dispatch and the county’s mobile crisis team and authorized the board president to sign the agreement.
County Director of Public Safety Steve McDowell and Communications Chief Stanley Harris presented the memorandum, saying the agreement is intended to route low-acuity behavioral-health calls to trained mental-health counselors or the mobile crisis team instead of defaulting to police or EMS responses.
Why it matters: Integrating 988, 911 and the mobile crisis team is intended to connect people in behavioral-health crises with the most appropriate resource quickly, reduce unnecessary deployment of law enforcement or emergency medical services and improve follow-up care.
The presenters described how the systems will work together: 988 provides immediate emotional support and triage; 911 continues to handle life‑threatening calls and incidents that indicate a weapon or immediate danger; and the mobile crisis team — made up of clinicians, medical providers and peer recovery specialists — can be dispatched for on-site assessment and care when appropriate. Presenters said protocols and dispatch triggers in the memorandum allow 988 to transfer calls to 911 if a situation escalates.
“By integrating 988, 911, and the mobile crisis team, individuals in crisis can be connected to the most appropriate resource without delays or unnecessary involvement of first responders,” the county memo states. The board heard that the change is aimed at improving outcomes for people in crisis and conserving public-safety resources for responses that require police, fire or EMS.
Andrea McDonald Fingland, director of the Calvert County Local Behavioral Health Authority at the Calvert County Health Department, said Calvert is among the first Maryland counties to execute this memorandum. “We are one of the first counties in Maryland to execute this MOA,” she said, thanking county partners and noting clauses that call for police response when a situation escalates to a safety risk.
Adriana Fazzo, assistant director for behavioral-health diversion at Community Crisis Services Inc., described Community Crisis Services as “the designated contact center for 988 in Southern Maryland” and said her team will work directly with law enforcement to de‑escalate and divert appropriate calls to community resources.
Regina Turnbull, clinical supervisor for Calvert Crisis Response, described the mobile crisis and walk‑in services and said the team can be deployed through public safety dispatch, 988 or self‑dispatch by residents.
The board voted to approve the memorandum and authorized the board president to sign it. The motion to approve was made and seconded at the July 15 meeting and recorded as approved; the transcript records the vote by voice but does not list a roll‑call tally.
Implementation and next steps: The Department of Public Safety will coordinate with the Health Department and Community Crisis Services to implement dispatch protocols. Presenters and commissioners encouraged public outreach so residents know they can call 988, call or text, or contact the mobile crisis number directly at (877) 467‑5628 for non‑emergency behavioral‑health assistance.
The memorandum and related implementation steps were presented to the board as a county initiative; no fiscal impact was specified during the presentation.
