Acting Mayor Kim Janey Announces New Pilot Program In Boston For Mental Health Emergencies

BOSTON (CBS) -- Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey announced a new plan Thursday to redirect some mental health calls to mental health workers instead of police.

Under the new pilot program, officers would not respond to certain non-violent mental health calls. Instead, mental health workers would be teamed with EMS.

The program would also re-train 9-1-1 dispatchers to recognize emergency mental health calls.

The idea is to get trained health professionals to people who may be in a criss.

The plan followed a call by Janey in April to amplify the role of mental health workers and reduce the role of police officers in response to mental health crises around Boston.

"The community engagement process affirmed the importance of distinguishing between how we treat calls, about mental health, and how we treat calls about public safety. Each call should have a response tailored to its purpose," said Janey.

According to the Mayor's office, there were more than 10,000 mental health calls placed to 9-1-1 in 2020.

It is set to start in September.