Baltimore's 911 program could support more mental health calls with help from $1 million grant
A $1 million grant from the federal government will help Baltimore expand its 911 Diversion Program to support more mental health calls.
The program, launched in June 2021, allows dispatchers to redirect some emergency calls to mental health or behavioral professionals rather than police officers.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the 911 call center receives calls for more than just typical emergencies. The idea is to help as many people as possible who need it.
Mental Health police responses
On Jan. 19, Baltimore police responded to an apartment complex on Park Avenue for reports of a person with a knife experiencing a mental health crisis.
When 48-year-old Autumn Elizabeth Denny refused to drop the knife, police shot her in the leg. She was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The funding allocated to Baltimore aims to prevent situations like that one.
"Unfortunately, all over the country, we've seen instances where that response went kind of haywire because there was a greater need, not just for police assistance but other types of assistance," said Congressman Kwesi Mfume.
Funding for 911 expansion
The federal grant aims to help expand Baltimore's 911 Diversion Program, allowing dispatchers to deploy counselors, social workers and resources for drug abuse-related calls.
"This earmark represents a critical step for our 911 diversion work, which is focused on providing the most appropriate response to every call, not what's available, but the most appropriate, and that's a big spectrum because not every 911 call requires an emergency response," said Mayor Scott.
Stephanie Maaronis, Director of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), said they are already working on future plans, and these additional funds open up a world of possibilities.
"MONSE has been in conversation with our police department, with our Baltimore City Mayor's Office of Overdose Response, and many community partners about what this work should look like in the future," Maaronis said. "How we can implement additional alternative response frameworks and build on the systems that we've built the foundation for already as a city."
Maaronis said once those plans are finalized, they will be presented.
Mayor Scott said he hopes this model can lead the nation in similar programs, including for nearby counties where similar police-involved incidents have occurred.
