Cleveland is taking a proactive approach to addressing mental health crises by adding clinicians to its dispatch center. With the help of an almost $550,000 federal grant, the program will include mental health clinicians in the dispatch center, bringing the total funding for this initiative to over $800,000 with contributions from the Cleveland Foundation and matching funds from the city. The program, called “Connect and Protect,” will be rolled out over three years, with a planning phase in year one and the addition of two clinicians in year two and three in year three.
The addition of these clinicians may reduce the need for police response to mental health crises and help connect callers to the resources they need. During their time at the dispatch center, clinicians will be able to de-escalate situations over the phone, potentially preventing unnecessary police responses to low-level mental health crisis calls. They will also be able to provide callers with mental health resources and help dispatchers identify the most appropriate response for each crisis call. Additionally, all dispatchers will receive mental health training as part of this program.
As Cleveland continues to work on implementing this new initiative, they are still deciding on salaries for clinician dispatchers. However, it is clear that this move is an important step towards improving Cleveland’s response to mental health crises and ensuring that individuals in need receive the appropriate support and resources they require.