As mental health stays top of mind this December, the City of Tulsa’s Community Response Team (CRT) is continuing to serve those in emergent mental health crisis through its proactive and life-saving response methods.
Comprised of a Tulsa Police officer, Tulsa Fire Department paramedic, and a Family & Children’s Services (F&CS) clinician, the team responds to 911 calls that involve someone in a mental health crisis, first assessing emergent needs and following that response up with mental health help.
Operating Monday through Friday, CRT clinicians from F&CS are able to rapidly assess and de-escalate situations while proving links to services.
CRT was created in 2017 after the City noticed it was taking more than 13,000 yearly mental health-related calls through 911, many of which were repeat mental health calls and not emergencies.
CRT, along with other community policing methods and assistance from the Tulsa Police Mental Health unit, is able to reduce high-911-utilizers and get people to the right resources, helping divert them out of the criminal justice system when appropriate.
For non-emergent, non-violent calls, citizens can call 988 or COPES at (918) 744-4800.
For more information on the City’s mental health and special services programming efforts, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/mhss.
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