Henderson’s 988‑Linked Crisis Response Team Seeks to Shift Mental Health Calls From Police

TL;DR: Henderson logged 1,700 mental‑health‑related 911 calls in six months of 2025. A new pilot links the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to the city’s Crisis Response Team, which stays on scene, connects people to services, and follows them to hospital, with estimates that only 2% of 988 calls need law enforcement.

Nationwide, mental‑health‑related 911 calls have risen, straining police and fire resources; the American Psychological Association estimates up to 20% of all 911 calls involve behavioral health crises. In Henderson, dispatchers logged 1,700 such calls from July to December 2025.

The city’s Crisis Response Team (CRT) is staffed by behavioral health clinicians who stay on scene after a call, attempt a warm handoff to services, and accompany individuals to the hospital if needed, according to clinical supervisor Lisa Kelso. Kelso also noted that only about 2% of calls that reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline require law‑enforcement intervention, freeing police and fire for true emergencies. Currently, Henderson’s CRT is dispatched via 911 alongside police and fire; the pilot aims to route 988 callers directly to the team.

Several neighboring jurisdictions in the Las Vegas valley already deploy mental‑health clinicians alongside police and fire for behavioral‑health calls, but Henderson’s approach is distinct in seeking to bypass the 911 dispatch step entirely.

To date, no randomized controlled trial has evaluated the Henderson model; the available evidence comes from cohort observations of call volumes and clinician reports, which show association but not causation between CRT deployment and reduced police involvement.

For residents, the shift could mean faster access to mental‑health support without police presence, potentially reducing stigma and unnecessary arrests. For agencies, diverting even a small fraction of calls could alleviate workload, though real‑world impact depends on uptake and follow‑up compliance. Practical takeaway: callers in Henderson can still dial 988; if the pilot succeeds, more crises may be handled solely by mental‑health professionals. The CRT also conducts next‑day hospital visits and can maintain contact for up to 90 days to help individuals secure housing, counseling, or medication assistance, a follow‑up component that research links to lower readmission rates in cohort studies.

Watch for upcoming data on call diversion rates, hospital follow‑up outcomes, and any expansion of the 988‑linked CRT to other Nevada jurisdictions.