Deschutes County Behavioral Health partners with 9-1-1, law enforcement to launch new Crisis Response program

In partnership with local law enforcement agencies and Deschutes 9-1-1, Deschutes County Behavioral Health has launched a new Community Crisis Response program. Deschutes 9-1-1 is now transferring low and moderate risk mental health crisis calls to a team of mental health clinicians who can provide crisis services in the community without law enforcement.

“This program has the potential to take a significant burden off of first responders,” said Adam Goggins, Deschutes County Behavioral Health Program Manager. “We’re so pleased to be able to serve and support our community in this new way.”

Deschutes 9-1-1 will continue to dispatch law enforcement and Fire/EMS to high-risk calls  while the Community Crisis Response Team will serve a supportive role.

The County’s mobile crisis team has been providing local crisis intervention services with and without law enforcement for more than 20 years. This program will see an expansion of the mobile crisis team’s capability to respond to crisis calls without law enforcement partners and will increase community accessibility to crisis services. 

"This is the right thing to do for our community and public safety,” said Deschutes County Sheriff L. Shane Nelson. “I am proud of our partnership with Deschutes County Behavioral Health, and thankful they are moving forward with this program. Not every call should involve a uniformed law enforcement officer, and this will be productive."

In 2022, the crisis team responded to 3,759 calls for service. Of those calls, more than 1,700 were to assist law enforcement agencies. Preliminary data from the first two months of operation indicates the new Community Crisis Response Team responded to 551 calls for service and was able to resolve approximately 88% of these calls without law enforcement.

“Often when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, a law enforcement response isn’t necessary,” said Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz. “The Crisis Response Program allows professionals with expertise to respond to these calls for service, helping people in crisis get the help they need.” 

To learn more about Crisis Services in Deschutes County, visit https://www.deschutes.org/health/page/crisis-services.

Media Contacts: Adam Goggins, Program Manager, Crisis Services, (541) 322-7508

Sheila Miller, Bend Police Communications Manager, (541) 410-7793