Crisis diversion programs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa mark 1 year of progress

In their first year, new crisis diversion programs in Oklahoma City and Tulsa have rerouted thousands of mental health-related 911 calls to mental health professionals, freeing up first responders for public safety emergencies and connecting callers to care that meets their needs.

Healthy Minds Policy Initiative facilitated collaboration in each city that led to the launch of two new programs: Tulsa’s crisis call diversion program, which embedded mental health clinicians at the city’s 911 center, and Mobile Integrated Healthcare in Oklahoma City, a program of the Fire Department that sends mental health responders to mental health-related 911 calls.  

In Tulsa, trained mental health clinicians from Family and Children’s Services now work around the clock to answer mental health-related 911 calls.

In one year of operations, the program generated about $450,000 in savings by drastically cutting down on the number of mental health calls that require a police or fire department response.

The program diverted nearly 90% of eligible mental health-related calls away from first responders, with only 7% requiring a co-response from both a mental health clinician and police mobile crisis response teams.  

Tulsa has also seen a significant decrease in mental health emergency calls processed through its traditional dispatch system: roughly 5,400 calls in 2025, down from over 11,300 in 2024.

In Oklahoma City, Mobile Integrated Healthcare teams diverted over 5,000 calls and stabilized more than 1,500 people in the program’s first 10 months.

Its Community Advisory Program, which serves high users of 911 for non-emergency needs, reduced repeat calls by over 58% and emergency room visits by over 55%.

“When someone is having a mental health crisis, they need a mental health response,” said Zack Stoycoff, Healthy Minds' president and CEO. “Mental health emergencies are weighing on cities across the nation, and Tulsa and Oklahoma City leaders have stepped up with innovative, long-term solutions that meet residents where they are. In just one year, we're seeing a tremendous impact on how these new programs are helping residents connect to care.”

Healthy Minds Policy Initiative played an advisory role for both initiatives. The Tulsa call diversion project was born out of the First Responders Advisory Council, a working group of public safety and mental health leaders facilitated by Healthy Minds.  

Healthy Minds also facilitates Oklahoma City’s Crisis Intervention Advisory Group, which was instrumental in the launch of Mobile Integrated Healthcare, and works alongside the city’s Public Safety Partnership.

Learn more about each of the programs:  

City reflects on first anniversary of 24/7 mental health clinicians now embedded at 911 center

Mobile Integrated Healthcare dispatched over 5,000 times in first 10 months of service