Tulsa has taken a significant step forward in the field of emergency response, specifically regarding mental health crises. Mayor Monroe Nichols stood shoulder-to-shoulder with city public safety leaders and representatives from Family and Children's Services to unveil their latest collaboration: integrating mental health clinicians directly into the 911 Call Center. An initiative aiming to provide immediate help to those experiencing a psychiatric emergency began its soft launch in February and has already seen impactful results, with over 560 calls diverted from Police, Fire, and EMSA in just March alone.
The integration of mental health professionals into the call center is designed to ensure that individuals experiencing mental health crises receive the appropriate response and support. "I’ve talked a lot about how we’re trying to make Tulsa the safest big city in the country, and this new mental health partnership is going to be one of the ways we do that," Mayor Nichols said, according to the city’s press release. A clinician from Family & Children’s Services is now stationed around the clock at the 911 Call Center to assess calls and provide counseling and mental health support when needed.
This notable change is far from a replacement for other mental health supports in the city. Residents can still directly contact the COPES program by calling (918) 744-4800 or reach out to 988, the Suicide and Crises Hotline, for immediate assistance. Tulsa's effort aligns with recommendations from the 3H Task Force’s Path to Home Recommendations and the First Responders Advisory Council, striving to make sure those in distress can connect with qualified mental health personnel. "With the incredible work of our teams, now combined with the work of these dedicated COPES clinicians, we are inching closer to making Tulsa the safest big city in the country and a city that prioritizes mental health in everything that we do," Public Safety Commissioner Laurel Roberts told the city's official website.
The efficacy of this program is not going unnoticed, with the Tulsa Police Department launching a webpage that provides transparent data, including the total number of calls to 911 and specific mental health triage statistics updated monthly. "This partnership between Family & Children’s Services and Tulsa’s 911 public safety center exemplifies FCS's mission as a mental health provider and purpose as a CCBHC," Adam Andreassen, CEO of Family and Children’s Services, explained, as reported by the City of Tulsa. Commemorating National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, city leaders also took the moment to celebrate the unwavering dedication of the 911 dispatchers, with Council Vice Chair Karen Gilbert lauding them as "unseen heroes" for their essential contributions to the fabric of the community.
