911 dispatchers now have another option when someone in Tampa calls in with a mental health emergency.
Instead of police officers, crisis counselors will respond.
The program partners with the Tampa Police Department and the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
"The dispatcher will do a quick assessment to figure out what's going on," said Clara Reynolds, president and CEO of the crisis center. "And if it meets the criteria that has been set, those calls are routed directly to our staff that are sitting in the 911 dispatch center."
Counselors in the dispatch center will talk to callers and ease the situation without involving the police.
"Law enforcement officers, and they will readily admit, didn't go to school to get this type of training," Reynolds said. "They do an amazing job when they have to. But we're working to reduce the amount of time that those officers are going to have to respond to a behavioral health crisis."
She adds that most 911 calls come in response to a mental health crisis.
As of this week, the service has helped 33 people this month. It officially began on July 1.
Money for the service comes from the US Department of Justice's Connect and Protect program. The $550,000 grant lasts three years.
