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Abstract
Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) are more likely to come into contact with law enforcement and the justice system. Livingston (2016) found that 25% of people with mental illness have been arrested at least once in their lives. Law enforcement officers often become the primary intervention in handling a mental health crisis, and most mental health-related training curricula (e.g., Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)) have focused on this group. However, the burden to initially ascertain if an emergency is mental health-related has fallen to 911 call takers and dispatchers, the first first responder. The performance outcomes outlined by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services for compulsory minimum training of 911 dispatchers include managing calls and sustaining composure during situations that may involve mental health crises. The guidelines emphasize crisis negotiation, instinct, and accumulated experience. This study aims to understand what SMI training options are available and utilized for 911 call takers. An extensive literature search within EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Google Scholar, HeinOnline, and PsycInfo databases was completed using search terms such as “911”, “training”, “mental health”, and “mental illness”. Search results yielded 10 studies that directly related to 911 call takers and mental health-related calls. Of the 10 studies, three mentioned trainings themed in identifying their own mental health, crisis negotiation, and identifying potential SMI-related calls to transfer to crisis and suicide hotlines. SMI training for 911 call takers is crucial to ensure better outcomes; more research is essential to gain insight into effective training to help ease the strain on emergency services and inform policymakers and reformers on effective strategies.
Publication Date
2026
Subject Major(s)
Social Work
Keywords
911, mental health, serious mental illness, crisis identification, public safety access point, 911 call takers
Disciplines
Social Work
Current Academic Year
Senior
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Amy Adkins, Ph.D.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Rebecca Smith Ph.D.
Rights
© The Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Ralston K., Adcook E., Cuddeback G., Smith R., Adkins A., (2026). Exploring the Knowledge Gap: Mental Health Crisis Identification Training for 911 Call Takers [Poster presentation]. National Conference on Undergraduate Research 2026, Richmond, VA