Cleveland promotes 988 mental health crisis line
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The Care Response teams show up in silver Honda CR-Vs. Photo: Courtesy of ADAMHS
If residents in parts of Cleveland are experiencing a mental health crisis, they can call 988 instead of 911 to receive services from licensed clinicians and peer supporters.
State of play: The Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board (ADAMHS) of Cuyahoga County is piloting a "care response" program through the end of 2025 in two Cleveland ZIP codes.
Why it matters: It's a health-focused program that seeks to reduce hospitalizations and potentially harmful interactions with law enforcement by responding to crises without armed police.
- But it's also underutilized, program officials say, and they're working to engage the community to increase call volume.
How it works: When 988 is called and a dispatcher determines that the call is a mental health crisis — not an "emergency," where there is imminent risk to the individual or to public safety — a two-person response team is sent.
- They calm the situation and determine what help is required. That could mean linking the person to additional services, offering a trip to the hospital, or doing nothing at all.
By the numbers: Between the pilot's launch in September 2024 and last month, the 988 line (and its longform 216-623-6888 number) received more than 5,000 total calls, per ADAMHS.
- Only 84 of those resulted in client engagement with a care response team, and only 37 were in the pilot's ZIP codes.
- Due to a shortage of calls, ADAMHS sent teams to calls elsewhere.
Between the lines: The care response program is unlike "co-responder" pilots in Northeast Ohio, where social workers respond to calls alongside police officers.
- The pilot's ZIP codes — 44102 on the west side, 44105 on the east side — were chosen based on Cleveland EMS data showing those areas had the highest prevalence of behavioral health- and substance abuse-related calls.
Zoom out: 988 is a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis helpline available 24/7/365.
- The care response teams in Cleveland operate 24/7, too.
What's next: Marketing and awareness building, including billboards and banners at bus stops, urging folks to make use of the 988 hotline.