First responders in Reno, including police, fire crews, and EMS, now have access to a new tool designed to enhance their response to emergencies. The Reno Police Department has introduced the Mental Health Online Registry, or MHOR, a voluntary initiative allowing individuals and caregivers to submit information about mental or physical conditions.
Chris Johnson, public information officer for the Reno Police Department, explained, “Mental Health Online Registry is a new initiative here at the Reno Police Department that will allow individuals to essentially sign up and notify us if they have any mental or physical conditions.” The registry enables users to provide details such as mental diagnoses, preferred communication methods, and potential triggers, along with personalized calming techniques and emergency contacts.
Johnson noted that understanding these factors can help reduce the risk of escalation during a mental health crisis, leading to better outcomes. “Sometimes it could present itself if you’re responding to a mental health crisis like something else like maybe that person might be acting a certain way or saying certain things and it just might seem a little weird or a little off,” he said.
While some community members may have concerns about inputting sensitive data, Officer Johnson assured that the information remains private. “This is information that is held within the police department on our secure servers to be able to give our law enforcement officers as well as mental health clinicians access to that during their professional duties day to day here at the police departments,” he said.
All submissions to the registry will be reviewed by the department’s Mobile Outreach Safety Team (MOST) clinicians.
Community members have the option to remove themselves from the registry at any time.
The more information that we have is going to be vital in that de-escalation and ultimately getting that individual help.
To find out more about the program and to register, click here.
Email reporter Anthony Ramos at aramos@sbgtv.com. Follow @antramosnews on X and Anthony Ramos on Facebook.