INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — When people make calls to 911 in Marion County, a new option is available for mental health crises.

A team will take on mental health crisis calls through collaborates with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD), and Indianapolis EMS, which is the city’s ambulance service.

In the past, the Mobile Crisis Assistance Team or the Clinician-Led Community Response unit dealt with mental health crises, but the police were called when they weren’t available.

IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said Tuesday during a news conference on the new option, “A law enforcement response isn’t always necessary or appropriate for these runs.”.

This new option was described Tuesday as a 24/7 collaborative effort where the fire department, EMS, and the police department will join forces and respond together. Bailey said, “IMPD will stand by and make sure there isn’t any safety issues, and let IEMS or IFD deal with it to their best of their abilities.”

Tom Sellas, chief of the city’s Metropolitan Emergency Services Agency, added that the new option is “making sure that we send proper resources to people who are in mental health crisis.”

Here’s how it works. 911 dispatchers will determine if the situation is mental health-related. The Mobile Crisis Assistance Team or the Clinician-Led Community Response are on standby. If they aren’t available, the new Unified Response Team will respond. People who are determined to be mentally ill will be transported to hospitals for treatment.

Mayor Joe Hogsett tells News 8 the new option was “dedicated to diverting those suffering from mental illness away from jail and into treatment, a goal that this new initiative shares.”

The IMPD chief also suggested that people can call 988 instead of 911 for mental health-related cases.

Mental health resources

• Be Well Indiana
• Indiana Suicide Prevention
• Indiana Department of Child Services’ Children’s Mental Health Initiative
• National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 800-273-8255
• More resources