Baltimore will turn 911 into more than just an emergency number
Baltimore is expanding its 911 system to include mobile crisis teams that pair clinicians with peer counselors for mental health emergencies. This initiative aims to divert individuals in distress away from the criminal justice system and toward appropriate care.
Why it matters
It represents a shift in urban public safety policy, prioritizing mental health support over traditional police intervention for non-violent crises.
In March in a McDonald's parking lot off a busy Baltimore street, mental health clinician Michala Williams met a 38-year-old woman in a car.
"So, you called the police for help?" Williams asked the woman, who was sobbing uncontrollably and said she sometimes thinks about harming herself.
This story was produced in partnership with KFF Health News .
She told Williams she has children ranging from age 2 to 22, she was dealing with health issues, and that her fiancé had recently been jailed. She felt so overwhelmed she couldn't eat.
The woman, who asked not to be named so that she could freely discuss her mental health, explained she'd tried to get help the previous month by driving to the hospital but got pulled over on the way because her car registration had expired.
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