NYC mental health 911 response program could be expanded

NEW YORK - Emergency responders answering 911 calls may now include mental health and social workers instead of the police as part of a pilot program in certain NYPD precincts in Upper Manhattan. 

The 911 dispatchers may opt to send behavioral health care teams instead of cops to answer mental health calls as long as there is not a threat of violence. The program is called Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division, or B-HEARD. 

"It's the first time we've been able to bring behavioral health care on-site when they are experiencing an emergency like that," said Susan Herman, who helped design and launch  B-HEARD.

The pilot began in June in Harlem and East Harlem because data shows these areas have more emergency calls for people with mental health issues than anywhere in the city.

"We are conserving our emergency departments by not overloading them with people who don't need to be there," Herman said. "We are also conserving police resources and saving them for situations where it's really a public safety issue."

When appropriate, two FDNY paramedics and a social worker are dispatched to mental health emergencies with the goal of evaluating and deescalating.

Dr. Rebecca Linn-Walton, who oversees the program, said the goal is to help the person in need feel calm.

"Talking to them and being very transparent about why we think the help would be useful at the hospital," she said, "really doing that hand-holding so that someone understands your rationale." 

Janine Perazzo trains the mental health response teams.

"We've had some individuals experiencing panic attacks or anxiety," Perazzo said. "Some that have escalated and are not able to engage, whether it's with a family member or maybe a doctor."

The program comes in the wake of George Floyd's death and the demand for police reforms as well as scrutiny about how the NYPD handles mental health calls. The program has been so successful in its first few months there are now plans to expand it. Organizers would like to see the Harlem model one day be adopted all over New York City.