The state of Delaware has advanced its alternative emergency response capabilities through a collaboration between DSAMH, HEALTHe Insights, and Mission Critical Partners. Together, they developed guidelines to improve 911/988 coordination and strengthen behavioral health crisis response efforts.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa., May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The state of Delaware has taken a major step toward advancing its alternative emergency response capabilities. The state's Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) and HEALTHe Insights, a healthcare consulting firm, worked with Mission Critical Partners to develop guidelines and best practices for 911/988 interaction in Delaware. The guidelines and best practices recently were delivered to DSAMH and are intended to complement existing internal 911 and 988 agency policies that support behavioral health crisis alternatives and strengthen alternative crisis response.
The guidelines and best practices were developed by a working group consisting of 911 professionals and 988/behavioral health specialists in the state as well as MCP subject-matter experts. They were developed in alignment with the National Emergency Number Association (NENA)'s 911/988 standards, as well as other industry best practices, such as those identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for effective alternative crisis response models.
The guidelines and best practices cover operational procedures such as call screening/classification, call transferring, and information sharing between ECCs and 988 centers. They focus on the following key principles:
- Triage tools, such as protocols and decision matrices, should be enhanced to enable ECCs and 988 centers to better determine when a 911 caller should be transferred to 988 and vice versa.
- Behavioral health emergencies should not be treated automatically as law enforcement or emergency medical incidents. The goal is to match the response to the level of risk and need, which requires coordination between 911 and 988 and may include a mobile crisis response team.
- The relationship between 911 and 988 stakeholders in Delaware is critical to enhancing alternative emergency response in the state and must continually be worked on, particularly communication and collaboration between the various entities to support effective crisis resolution.
The next step in the initiative is for DSAMH and MCP to collaborate on a pilot project involving select ECCs and 988 centers in Delaware to test whether the suggested guidelines and best practices will be effective in real-world scenarios.
"The 911 and 988 systems exist to get the right response to the right people at the right time," said Darrin Reilly, MCP's president and CEO. "But achieving that goal requires effective 911/988 coordination and this project is a huge step in the right direction. It encourages a structured partnership between the 911 and 988 communities that will lead to more collaborative decision-making and behavioral health-informed triage that will raise the standard of care throughout Delaware."
About Mission Critical Partners (MCP)
Mission Critical Partners (MCP) is a leading provider of consulting, technology, and data integration services for public safety, justice, and government organizations. MCP helps its clients advance their missions through modern, interoperable, and data-driven solutions. Learn more at missioncriticalpartners.com
Media Contact
Morgan Sava, Mission Critical Partners, 1 608-658-8858, [email protected], https://www.missioncriticalpartners.com/
SOURCE Mission Critical Partners
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