In November 2024, Clear Pathways presented its groundbreaking Crisis Response Pilot on the 988 Crisis Jam. Interim Executive Director Alicia D. Smith, MHA, and Assistant Director of Research and Evaluation Cal Jenkins, MS, shared how this project worked to transform behavioral health crisis response through streamlined communication and enhanced person-centered care.
The Crisis Response Pilot, which concluded in August 2024, explored how 9-8-8 and 9-1-1 systems should best collaborate at the local level to foster coordination and improve care. Peg’s Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts supported the pilot. Our approach was based on two core components derived from the SAFECOM Interoperability Continuum: governance and standard operating procedures.
Clear Pathways worked with five Ohio communities to advance two objectives:
- Establish a governance structure within each county that facilitates regular collaboration among key 9-8-8 and 9-1-1 personnel.
- Develop joint policies and procedures with at least one 9-1-1 public safety answering point within each county’s 9-8-8 call center.
During the Crisis Jam, Smith and Jenkins highlighted the pilot’s key activities: building consensus, understanding each other’s systems, analyzing and identifying call types, and developing protocols. They shared a few key facilitators of the pilot, which included regular meetings and examining 9-1-1/9-8-8 call data in workgroups.
The 988 Crisis Jam provides a space to share “best” practices for 9-8-8 and crisis response system optimization. The Crisis Jam enhances collective knowledge by engaging with subject-matter experts, connecting with peers and other partners, and sharing information.
