People Still Call 911 (Not 988) For Mental Health Crises

Today’s Brief:

• Crisis Intervention Briefs

• Most Mental-Health Crisis Calls Still Go to 911 Not to 988 Lifelines

• Washington Police Back Diversion Over Jail for Low-Level Offenses

• Social Media Briefs

  Total Read Time: 5 minutes

👮 Crisis Intervention Briefs

Jennings County Sheriff's Office introduces new Crisis Intervention Team for mental health calls

The Jennings County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) introduced its new Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), a specialized group of deputies who have received training focused on de-escalation, mental health awareness, and effective communication to respond to mental health crises. The training equips them to recognize signs of mental illness, use suicide prevention skills, and collaborate with local mental health providers.

Naperville City Council adopts 2026 budget; includes Mobile Crisis Intervention Team

The Naperville City Council officially adopted its $685.34 million 2026 budget, which includes a $1.17 million allocation to fund a new Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT) for the Police Department. The MCIT program was approved following deliberation and will cover expenses for salaries, vehicles, and equipment to enhance public safety and mental health response.

County graduates 47 from Crisis Intervention Team training program

Forty-seven law enforcement personnel and professionals, including three Princeton police officers, graduated from Mercer County's intensive five-day Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program. The course trained first responders on topics like mental illness, de-escalation, trauma-informed policing, and the ARRIVE Together initiative, which pairs officers with mental health screeners.

👮 Most Mental-Health Crisis Calls Still Go to 911 Not to 988 Lifelines

A new report from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) shows that most mental-health crisis calls in the U.S. are still routed through 911 rather than the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In 2023, dispatch centers handled an estimated 24 million crisis-related calls, far outpacing the 17 million contacts to 988 since its launch. Yet 40% of dispatchers say they lack the tools or training needed to manage suicidal or mentally unstable callers. To help close that gap, IAED released “Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis,” giving 911 centers a structured way to determine whether to dispatch responders or safely transfer callers to 988. Early adopters in the Great Lakes region report increased confidence, better triage, and even documented lives saved, but the data makes clear that strengthening the bridge between 911 and mental-health services remains an urgent priority.

👮 Washington Police Back Diversion Over Jail for Low-Level Offenses

On December 2, 2025, law enforcement agencies across Washington state spoke out in favor of pre-arrest diversion programs — efforts that send individuals charged with low-level, often substance-related offenses to community services instead of jail. Programs such as Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) and Recovery Navigator Program (RNP) allow police to refer people for treatment, mental-health support, and other social services rather than arresting them. Supporters say diversion helps address underlying mental-health and addiction issues and reduces strain on already overloaded public-defense and jail systems. In one example, deputies worked with RNP to help a woman in crisis get support — a situation where no crime had occurred — and that person reportedly has not reoffended. With no members of the advisory committee voicing opposition, these endorsements mark growing momentum toward treating certain offenses as public-health issues rather than criminal ones.