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SUMMARY:Seminar: Critical Connections: How 911 Behavioral Health Call Ident
 ification Can Shape Crisis Response.
DESCRIPTION:IDEA: Why the identification of behavioral health calls by 911 
 call takers is crucial to law enforcement safety, jail population manageme
 nt, and better outcomes for individuals in crisis.\n\n\nPROBLEM: People in
  crisis often call 911, and too many 911 centers lack the tools or trainin
 g to recognize and appropriately handle behavioral health calls. A study p
 ublished in June by the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) found
  that 23% of call takers feel inadequately prepared to handle mental healt
 h or suicide calls. While 988 was intended to ensure people in crisis coul
 d access care and to divert behavioral health calls away from 911, it isn&
 rsquo;t there yet. Meanwhile, 911 call takers remain overlooked when think
 ing about how to connect people with the best and most appropriate crisis 
 responses.\n\n\nThe 911 system is often ignored as a crucial triage point 
 for behavioral health crises. If call takers are trained to recognize ment
 al health needs, use clear decision-making tools, and document calls accur
 ately, then callers can be transferred to the most appropriate response &n
 dash; whether that be on-scene responders or 988.\n\n\nSheriffs, who often
  oversee dispatch operations and 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs
 ), are uniquely positioned to drive improvements in how behavioral health 
 calls are handled. This session will share research and real-world example
 s from law enforcement, 911 systems, and behavioral health partners—
 highlighting actionable strategies that can enhance dispatcher support, im
 prove service access for callers in crisis, and allow officers to focus on
  higher-priority, crime-related incidents. The goal is for sheriffs and di
 spatch directors to leave with clear steps they can take to strengthen pub
 lic safety and operational efficiency.\n\n\nhttps://nsaconf.org
LOCATION:State
URL;VALUE=URI:https://nsaconf.org/v2/page/AgendaItem/3789
DTSTART:20260202T194500Z
DTEND:20260202T204500Z
UID:2026-04-10-19-31-52-0@nsaconf.org
DTSTAMP:20260411T003152
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