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In 2023, the City of Cambridge designated a new 911 Clinician position within the Emergency Communications Department. This new position is a rarity in many major cities, however the City of Cambridge fully recognizes how paramount it is to make accessible mental health resources available to its residents; particularly as our society continues to move away from stigmatizing mental health challenges and the City seeks to embrace the ways in which we can promote equitable access for any individual requiring or desiring assistance with this critical aspect of one’s overall health.
The City of Cambridge 911 Clinician is a unique public safety position, as they work directly inside the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) alongside Emergency Telecommunications Dispatchers (ETD). The 911 Clinician may be utilized by dispatchers during emergencies for purposes of crisis intervention/de-escalation or to support callers through vulnerable moments before first responders arrive on-scene when appropriate. A large part of the 911 Clinician’s role is also following up with and providing community members connections to mental health and corresponding services by making referrals, providing resources, facilitating screenings, offering support and advocacy, and short-term case management. When calling 911 for a behavioral health emergency, dispatchers can screen and triage calls for appropriate mental health response based on the medical protocol utilized by staff, a protocol allowing for the most appropriate response based on what is reported by callers to assist those in need of services. The 911 Clinician is now incorporated into the Emergency Communications response plan as an additional resource to assist residents, dispatchers and first responders.
If you or someone you love would like to connect with Emergency Communications regarding mental health and/or parallel issues, please call the Cambridge Police non-emergency line, 617-349-3300 and request to be connected to the 911 Clinician.
Page was posted on 10/6/2023 10:24 AM
Page was last modified on 10/6/2023 12:38 PM