From Call to Care: Empowering Dispatchers in Behavioral Health Crisis Response
This webinar is offered as part of the COPS Office National De-escalation Training Network Hot Topics webinar series.
911 dispatchers and emergency communications personnel are often the very first point of contact in a behavioral health crisis. Their ability to recognize, respond, and relay critical information sets the tone for the entire response.
This webinar explores the vital role dispatchers play in de-escalation, caller safety, and effective coordination with crisis teams and first responders. With the addition of community-based crisis options across the country, communications personnel have the opportunity now more than ever to change the outcome of the crisis.
Participants will learn best practices for identifying behavioral health concerns, applying trauma-informed communication, and ensuring callers receive the most appropriate resources. Participants will also gain self-care strategies to manage stress and protect their own well-being while handling these challenging calls. By equipping dispatchers with the right tools and training, communities can improve outcomes, reduce risks, and strengthen the crisis response system from the very first call.
Participants in the live webinar will receive a certificate of completion for this event.
Presenters:
Amanda Stamps retired from the Mesa Police Department after spending 26 years pursuing her passion for helping others. She specializes in working with communities to create the appropriate crisis system to match their needs. Amanda continues to teach and train on various topics and facilitates numerous Crisis Intervention Team trainings across Arizona.
Amanda was the 1st full-time CIT Program Coordinator for the Mesa Police Department. In this position, Amanda worked to navigate various options to improve outcomes for individuals in crisis who utilize emergency services. Amanda was involved in the creation of the Crisis Response Team, the current co-responder model, and the call diversion program responsible for diverting hundreds of calls directly to the crisis system. Amanda has spoken nationally and worked with organizations that look to create options beyond the typical 9-1-1 response. Amanda has assisted numerous regions in the creation of CIT Programs and currently works as a subject matter expert for CIT International teaching to CIT Coordinator Certification class. Amanda has an M.Ed. in Counseling and Human Relations from Northern Arizona University and is attending Arizona State in pursuit of a Doctor of Behavioral Health. Amanda was a founding board member of the Arizona CIT Association and was the Executive Director of Mental Health America of Arizona.
Amanda currently works as the Senior Director of Regional Operation over community-based crisis mobile teams for Community Bridges Inc. and owns her own company, Practical Law Enforcement Crisis Solutions LLC. She continues to advise behavioral health agencies and first responders to improve the lives of individuals in crisis and empower the first responders who assist during the crisis.
Matthew Moody, M.S., is a principal consultant at Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) with 15 years of experience in the crisis mental health and 988 fields. He previously served as the director of operations for one of the largest crisis and 988 providers in the country, where he oversaw the implementation of three crisis lines and managed teams of up to 240 staff members. Mr. Moody excels in collecting and interpreting data from contact centers, crisis lines, and mobile crisis teams. He designed and implemented two GPS-based mobile crisis team dispatch platforms, for which he also developed comprehensive training programs. Additionally, he has led the creation of seven 911 to 988 diversion programs across the U.S. and Canada and has managed mobile crisis teams and 988 mobile team dispatch departments, achieving over 4,000 dispatches per month. His expertise encompasses program development, policy and procedure creation, quality management, and relationship management. With a proven history of collaboration with local stakeholders, politicians, funders, and mental health providers, Mr. Moody is committed to enhancing mental health services and currently serves as a board member of CIT International. He earned his Master of Counseling and his B.A. in psychology from Arizona State University.
Marianne Halbert, J.D., is the Programs Manager at CIT International. In 1996 as a Public Defender in Indianapolis, she helped create the first pre-trial mental health diversion program in the United States, and oversaw that program for 14 years. She was then the Criminal Justice Director at NAMI Indiana for 13 years where she created a statewide CIT Technical Assistance Center and statewide CIT Program that earned Platinum Certification from CIT International. She now oversees all of CIT International’s trainings, certifications, and technical assistance, including Program Certification, the “Coordinator Certification Course”, “CIT Curriculum Train-the-Trainer”, and “CIT Support Training for 911/Emergency Communications”.
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