Establishment of a task force on 988 and a public education campaign on mental health awareness.

Summary

This bill would create a task force to study the current 988 system and make recommendations for its improvement. The task force would be required to submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council with their recommendations for improvements to 988, including the training that call-takers receive, the script used when answering 988 calls and messages, mobile crisis team protocols, and developing metrics to track the success of 988 in providing mental health care. The bill would also require DOHMH to create a public education campaign on mental illness and 988. In addition to providing information on the resources available through 988, the campaign would provide information to help people recognize symptoms of mental illness, assess risk of harm in a given situation, and accurately explain a mental health situation to a 988 operator. The bill would also require DOHMH to provide information on the full range of services available through 988, including mobile crisis teams, intensive treatment programs, assertive community treatment, clubhouses, and community-based alternatives to hospitalization, with instructions on how to access these resources.

Committee