Innovative Strategies for Implementation of Alternative Response: Addressing 911 Behavioral Health Calls Without Law Enforcement

In New Mexico, Bernalillo County Department of Behavioral Health Services (BC-DBHS) and the Bernalillo County Fire Department (BCFD) are working collaboratively on the implementation and oversight of Fire Mobile Crisis Teams (FMCT). The FMCT are innovative teams that pair a masters-level behavioral health clinician with a crisis trained paramedic to respond to lower level 911 crisis calls for service. The FMCT provides an onsite mental health assessment and crisis intervention to individuals in acute crisis stemming from a mental health related issue. The purpose of the FMCT is to rapidly respond, effectively screen, and provide early intervention to help those individuals who are in an active state of crisis and ensure their entry into the continuum of care at the appropriate level without the use of law enforcement intervention. The desired goal is to employ de-escalation techniques and safety assessments to defuse the crisis and maintain the individual in the community whenever possible, reducing the risk of arrests as a result of mental illness, limiting emergency room visits, eliminating costly ambulance transports, and eliminating any excessive use of resources. Where appropriate, the FMCT provides referral services to link individuals with service providers and community supports that can assist with maintaining maximum functioning in the community and the continuum of care.