Johnson County’s 988 crisis line team has new home, next to 911

OLATHE, Kan. (KCTV) - Johnson County’s Mental Health Center’s crisis line team has a new home.

The call takers will be right next door to the county’s 911 dispatchers at the County Communications Center in Olathe.

Johnson County’s Mental Health Center, the Department of Emergency Services, and the sheriff’s office will all be under one roof.

Johnson County said they know there is a growing need for mental health services, and they hope this will make answering calls easier, and will show residents that they are heard, seen and ed.

“This is huge, this moment is really a mile marker in crisis response in Johnson County,” said Renee Van Meter, the Health Center’s Deputy Divisions Director.

In 2022, the call takers answered 41,000 calls, and they’re on pace to hit that mark again for 2023.

“This allows us to collaborate mental health and law enforcement, mental health and first response, this allows us to have those conversations now in the same space,” said Van Meter.

The move has been in the works for two years now, Van Metter said by being in one building 911 and mental health professionals can share resources and collaborate more often on crisis calls.

“Now that we’re here the conversation gets to turn now to: is there a way to divert 911 calls from 911 to mental health response?” said Van Meter.

With collaborative teamwork, Director of the Department of Emergency Services, Paul Davis said they can build a sense of trust and help fight the stigma associated with mental health.

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“Whether it’s an acute crisis or an ongoing crisis or someone that is struggling day to day, it’s important to know that it’s okay to call, it’s okay to care, it’s okay to reach out,” said Davis.

The new location also gives the crisis team more space, and top-of-the-line technology to do their job – growing from four workspaces to six, with more than 30 call takers.

“We must grow; the county is saying to us we need this response we need mental health and resources,

Van Meter said there have been times they have lost power in their old office; now, they won’t have to worry about that.

“Knowing that our internet is not going away, our power is not going away, that we have the safety and security that is in this infrastructure and this building is profound in crisis response,” said Van Meter, “because if we can’t answer a call we can’t respond.”

The next conversation on the table will be about 988 text and chat. Van Meter said that’s possible because their new location opens the door to start having those conversations.

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