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DBH outlines CRT staffing, geo‑mapping and colocation plans to reduce crisis response times
Summary
DBH told the committee it has an interim chief of crisis services and is hiring more CRT staff, colocating teams and using geo‑mapping with 911/OUC and FEMs to divert appropriate mental‑health calls from MPD to clinical responders.
Councilmember Wendell Felder pressed DBH on CRT response times after testimony that average priority‑1 CRT arrival times had exceeded targets. Director Basron and Interim Chief of Crisis Services Jana Berhow described multiple operational steps: hiring additional CRT supervisors and line staff, colocating DBH staff with 911/OUC to triage calls, and geo‑mapping high‑call locations to place launch pads closer to hot spots. "We're looking with OUC…to see which of those calls do we think DBH actually could have taken," Berhow said.
DBH also reported coordinating protocols with MPD and FEMs so clinical responders, when appropriate, are routed instead of police. Basron said the department is tracking calls and deployments and plans to increase the number of local launch pads to shorten response times. Councilmembers asked how residents will be notified of improvements; Basron said the access points (CRT, 988, Access Helpline) will remain the same while response capability improves.
