Behavioral Health
EMS providers are often called to respond to patients experiencing behavioral health emergencies and mental health concerns. In the Behavioral Health topic, find expert analysis into managing acutely agitated patients, responding to excited delirium patients, legal concerns and grant funding for mental health responses.
A Crisis Car pilot program is pairing three disciplines: police, mental health and EMS to respond to behavioral emergencies
Drs. Antevy, Piehl, Spiro, Scheppke, Bernstein and Kupas discuss ketamine and other sedatives, and how to minimize risk when administering
Many 911 call centers face challenges determining whether a response should involve law enforcement, EMS, or a more specialized response when available
First responders negotiated with the man in Lake Quinsigamond before taking him into custody
Santa Fe’s proposed restructuring would replace paramedics with EMTs and ARU technicians as city officials debate the future of the behavioral health response program
Managing high-risk/difficult refusals with the FEARS mnemonic
The resignation of Santa Fe’s Alternative Response Unit manager leaves the program with five employees as concerns grow over staffing cuts, reduced call volume and the removal of EMS captains
Tulsa’s partnership between the 911 center and mental health clinicians diverted thousands of crisis calls, saving time and reducing unnecessary emergency calls
The state approved expanding the Riverside Fire Authority program countywide, allowing transport of eligible patients directly to Cascade Community Healthcare’s 18-bed Crisis Stabilization Unit instead of a hospital
A vote on the information request is postponed as Worcester officials call for broader discussion, amid lawsuit alleging the city’s 911 system improperly sends armed officers to behavioral health emergencies
In Worcester, a lawsuit and council review are raising questions about police-led responses to mental health emergencies
The San Antonio Fire Department earned the certification following policy changes focused on how personnel interact with the public and with one another
NYC Mayor Mamdani’s new Office of Community Safety will oversee mental health response, violence prevention and victim services as part of a broader strategy to reduce non-criminal demands on NYPD
Advocates say Worcester’s dispatch model sends armed officers instead of clinicians, raising safety concerns and questions about EMS system design
Programs that send mental health clinicians instead of police to crisis calls are expanding nationwide, but inconsistent funding and limited Medicaid reimbursement threaten their long-term stability
A weeklong Crisis Intervention Team course in Elkhart County trained 26 first responders in de-escalation, suicide prevention and responding to behavioral health emergencies
Santa Fe Fire Department officials say the change will improve resource allocation, but community health partners warn it reduces field medical capacity for behavioral health and homeless calls
The Anchorage Fire Department’s revived Community, Outreach, Referral and Education program pairs a clinician and paramedic to connect frequent callers with medical, mental health and substance use services at home
The San Rafael SAFE Team, a two-person mobile unit pairing a crisis counselor with an EMT, responds to 3,000 nonviolent calls annually, reducing ER visits
A 15-month pilot program will explore diverting non-violent, non-emergency calls in Iowa City and Johnson County, to trained field mediators
After a yearlong delay, City Council is set to vote Jan. 26 on creating a “care response” that dispatches clinicians with EMS to certain mental health emergencies
The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that SAMHSA funding will be restored following backlash from grantees and lawmakers
A six-month Clark County Fire Department pilot using a paramedic, EMT, and social worker diverted 70% of behavioral health patients from emergency rooms and de-escalated 94% of crisis calls
EMS World panelists shared their expertise in working with exceptional patients and discussed strategies and procedures that aid in creating a successful interaction for all involved
A patient fleeing a medical hold fatally beat a hospital security guard at M Health Fairview Lakes Medical Center, leading to a second-degree murder charge and renewed concerns about workplace violence
Twelve psychiatric beds will reopen as part of Denver Health’s new Integrated Medical and Psychiatric Care Unit
Santa Monica’s new Advanced Provider Unit pairs a nurse practitioner with a firefighter/paramedic, freeing ambulances for critical emergencies and reducing unnecessary transports
Children’s Minnesota and the Washburn Center for Children are placing an acute response therapist in EDs, providing counseling and follow-up so kids in mental health crisis can leave the ED sooner
As Cleveland debates Tanisha’s Law, council sponsors are pointing to models in Albuquerque, Allegheny County, Durham and Evanston that dispatch behavioral-health teams
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