In March, a mental‑health clinician met a distressed 38‑year‑old woman in a McDonald’s parking lot on a busy Baltimore street after the woman called 911 for assistance.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, is a mother of four children ranging from two to 22 years old. She disclosed ongoing health problems, the recent incarceration of her fiancé, and overwhelming stress that left her unable to eat.
Earlier, she had attempted to reach a hospital but was stopped by police when her vehicle registration had expired. The officer arrested her for erratic behavior, resulting in a brief jail stay instead of medical care.
When she called 911 this time, the dispatcher recognized that a police response was unnecessary and dispatched a mobile crisis team composed of a clinician and a peer counselor.
During an hour‑long conversation, the clinician arranged referrals to a psychiatrist, a therapist, legal assistance, and a case manager to explore eligibility for services for her autistic child.
These mobile crisis teams operate under the city’s Behavioral Health System, diverting appropriate calls from police to mental‑health professionals, though their current scope is limited to acute mental‑health crises.
Using a portion of roughly $400 million received from opioid‑related legal settlements, Baltimore is expanding the service to a round‑the‑clock model that can address a broader range of emergencies without police involvement.
In 2024 the city recorded 1.68 million 911 calls, many of which involved situations such as a homeless individual sleeping in a store, a confused person in a park, or a person shouting in a street—incidents that do not require police, fire, or EMS resources.
Calls of this nature often lead to incarceration when police respond. Research from a similar program in Durham, North Carolina, showed that non‑law‑enforcement responders reduced arrests, particularly among Black men aged 25‑39, and minimized trauma associated with police encounters.
The expanded Baltimore model aims to assess each caller’s needs and connect them to appropriate resources, thereby preventing unnecessary arrests and fostering more effective outcomes.
From 2021 to 2025 the city’s homicide rate fell by 60%, yet opioid overdoses remained high, with approximately 1,000 deaths annually between 2020 and 2023.
Following independent litigation against opioid manufacturers, settlement funds have been earmarked for programs that address drug‑related harms and preventive services such as housing, health care, and education.
One initiative places naloxone kits at every subway station, while $15 million of settlement money has already been allocated to broaden 911 response capabilities.
City officials view each 911 call as an opportunity to provide wraparound services that can prevent involvement with the criminal‑justice system for individuals facing poverty, addiction, or mental‑health challenges.
Similar programs in other jurisdictions, like Durham’s Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team, have diverted thousands of calls, provided housing assistance, arranged medical appointments, and required police backup in only a fraction of cases.
Responders report having a more comprehensive toolkit, and callers gain confidence that they will receive the appropriate help at the right time.
