Oklahoma City is increasingly routing mental health calls to crisis teams instead of police officers, according to a recently released report.
The city reported a 27% decrease in mental health-related calls dispatched to the scene from October 2023 to May 2024, from 1,361 to 990, according to a recently released transformation progress report.
City officials say this is a sign that efforts over the past four years to improve the lives of residents are working.
“This report highlights our officers’ commitment to the well-being of our community and connecting residents with resources that meet their needs,” Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley said in a press release. “By partnering with local mental health service providers, we are able to provide public safety and specialized mental health services at the same time.”
Oklahoma City’s Mental Health Initiative
In recent years, Oklahoma City leaders have taken a closer look at mental health issues and how city teams are responding to them.
In 2020, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt created the Oklahoma City Law Enforcement Policy Task Force to analyze de-escalation policies and community monitoring systems.
Since then, the City Council has established a Community Policing Working Group to develop crisis response models and officer wellness services, and has expanded its Crisis Intervention Team to bring in specially trained officers to incidents involving mental health crises.
Additionally, the City has allocated $44 million to establish a dedicated City Recovery and Crisis Center, and the City is launching a multi-million dollar Mobile Integrated Health Program, including deploying Mobile Crisis Teams and placing mental health professionals in 911 Communications Centers.
Oklahoma City also established a Crisis Intervention Advisory Group to review and provide guidance on the city’s mental health services.
How did your Oklahoma City outreach program go this year?
The Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), in partnership with members of the Oklahoma Mental Health Association and the Key to Home Partnership, serves as social service professionals in response to requests made through the City’s Action Center.
In 2023, homeless outreach teams experienced 4,137 contacts with homeless residents, 587 referrals and 2,884 requests for services, according to the report.
Mental Health Programs and Services
Oklahoma City offers a variety of mental health programs and services, including hotlines, mobile response teams and alternatives to interactions with law enforcement.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline connects callers directly to professional mental health assistance, and the 24/7 call centre dispatches professional mobile crisis response teams contracted with the state mental health department to provide on-site, specialist care.
In 2024, 489 calls were redirected to the crisis hotline and 501 calls were redirected from the hotline.
The mobile crisis teams are made up of licensed clinicians and peer recovery support specialists or case managers who help officers connect residents to services. The teams conduct assessments and connect people to services.
988 and the Mobile Crisis Team are among many alternatives to interactions with law enforcement, including telehealth access through the city’s iPad program, the Triage Resource Emergency Support Team program, community advocacy programs and referrals to the Overdose Response Team.
This article originally appeared in The Oklahoman: OKC’s mental health response programs are being strengthened, report shows
