Richmond staff detail ROCK crisis-response call types, training and 911 triage as team prepares to hit streets

Program Manager Michael Romero told the Richmond Community Crisis Response Program Advisory Board on Dec. 15 that six community intervention specialists began training Dec. 1 as part of the city’s new ROCK crisis-response team and that the unit will initially respond to nonviolent, nonmedical calls triaged through 911 dispatch.

The presentation described candidate call types the team may handle — "low-level behavioral health crises, wellness checks, disturbance, safe transports, passive suicidal ideation, mediation, request for information or resources, and firefighter or officer support for follow ups," Romero said — and explained why staff routed ROCK calls through the city’s 911 dispatchers at launch.

Staff said the dispatch-first approach is intended to protect responder safety and preserve data continuity. "Dispatchers have all of that information" — prior call history, flags for weapons or violence — "so they've already triaged and went through a very deliberate checklist before they send us out," Romero said. The team will also coordinate with the county mobile crisis response team (referred to in the meeting as A3), which can place psychiatric holds; ROCK staff said they will hand off to A3 when a call escalates beyond ROCK’s nonmedical scope.

Why it matters: Routing calls through dispatch changes how community members reach the service and affects perceptions of independence from law enforcement. Several board members said they were concerned community members who hesitate to call 911 might be unable or unwilling to access ROCK. Staff replied the dispatch route is a safety and data requirement for the initial rollout, and said outreach and branding are planned to increase public awareness and trust.

Staffing, timeline and capacity: Romero and Deputy Director Sam Vaughn said the program launched training with six responders because of hiring timing; they plan to recruit two additional team members after the initial cohort completes training. Romero gave a provisional deployment timeline, saying staff hope the team will begin street responses "mid-February," with more hires and expanded hours targeted for later in the summer.

Training and partnerships: Board members heard that the training program includes program operations, crisis-response foundations, field training and on-the-job coaching. Modules listed included trauma-informed care, de-escalation, non-harmful self-defense, defensive driving and cultural-intelligence work; staff said some sessions are in-house and others contract-delivered, and that the board would receive a more detailed curriculum and schedule.

Data and referrals: Staff described an integration between the ROCK data system (Apricot/Bonterra) and the city’s fire dispatch software to reduce duplicate entry, capture time-stamped dispositions, and permit limited follow-up with partner organizations via signed releases of information.

Examples and early outreach: Staff gave a field example of a recent outreach call in which a responder assisted a resident whose wheelchair battery had failed; staff used the example to underscore both community needs and the range of nonemergency help ROCK may provide. Staff said some early activity has included ride-alongs with fire and dispatch and introductions to local partner organizations.

What’s next: Staff said they will continue training, build the dispatch relationships that determine call assignments, and return to the board with data after initial deployment. They also signaled interest in future options such as a direct ROCK phone line if staffing and city directive allow.

The advisory board did not take a new policy vote on ROCK operations during the meeting; the presentation was informational and the board asked staff to return with more detailed reporting after deployment.