OLIVIA HICKEY, KOCO FIVE NEWS. OLIVIA. THANK YOU. 5000 MENTAL HEALTH CALLS IN THE FIRST TEN MONTHS OF SERVICE HAS A LOT. FREEING UP POLICE RESOURCES. THIS IS THANKS TO OKC NEW MOBILE INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM. KOCO EVAN ONSTOT JOINING US. EVAN, WE DID THE MATH HERE. NEARLY 17 CALLS A DAY. THAT’S RIGHT. AND THESE ARE CALLS THAT DISPATCHERS DIVERT AWAY FROM POLICE. THEY ARE INSTEAD GIVEN TO MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THE WHOLE POINT IS GETTING PEOPLE THE APPROPRIATE CARE. THE PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED LAST MAY. IT’S HOUSED WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND LOOK AT THIS. BETWEEN MAY AND FEBRUARY, THEY HAVE RESPONDED TO 5089 CALLS PREVENTING, THEY SAY MORE THAN 1500 PEOPLE FROM HAVING TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL OR EMERGENCY ROOM. IN FACT, A DROP IN HOSPITAL VISITS FOR THESE TYPES OF CALLS BY 55%. AND THEY’RE REDUCING REPEAT CALLS BY 58%. THE DEMAND FOR OUR TEAM IS HIGH. WE’RE ABLE TO GO OUT AND RESPOND WITH THE OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT OR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, OR EVEN EMSA, WHENEVER THE PRIMARY NEED IS RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE. OKC MAYOR DAVID HOLT SAYS THE HIGH NUMBERS THEY’RE SEEING, THEY VALIDATE THEIR THEORY THAT THE NATURE OF EMERGENCY CALLS ARE EVOLVING. SO THEIR RESPONSE, HE SAYS, NEEDED TO EVOLVE AS WELL. CITY LEADERS SAYING THIS MENTAL HEALTH TEAM CREATES BETTER OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE IN DISTRESS. IT’S GOOD F
Oklahoma City mental health team responds to more than 5,000 calls in 10 months
Oklahoma City’s mobile integrated health care crisis response team has diverted thousands of mental health calls from police, reducing hospital visits and repeat crises.
Updated: 6:41 PM CDT May 12, 2026
Oklahoma City’s Mobile Integrated Health Care Crisis Response Team has handled 5,089 mental health-related calls since its launch in May, providing specialized care and reducing strain on police resources.>> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning NewsletterThese calls are diverted by dispatchers from police to mental health professionals to ensure people receive appropriate care. The program, housed within the Oklahoma City Fire Department, has led to significant improvements in emergency response outcomes. Between May and February, the team prevented more than 1,500 people from needing hospital or emergency room visits, reducing hospital visits for these types of calls by 55%. Additionally, repeat calls have dropped by 58%. >> Video Below: Hope Booth unveiled in downtown Oklahoma City to provide mental health support”The demand for our team is high. We’re able to go out and respond with the Oklahoma City Police Department or the Fire Department or even EMSA whenever the primary need is related to mental health or substance abuse,” Lori Brown-Loftis, program manager for the response team, said. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said the high call numbers validate the city’s approach, explaining that the evolving nature of emergency calls required an updated response strategy. City leaders said the mental health team creates better outcomes for people in distress, benefits police officers and reduces the likelihood of repeated crises.Top Headlines Police and EMSA respond to damaging rollover crash at busy northwest Oklahoma City intersection Thunder sweep Lakers in Western Conference Semifinals despite nail-biting second half of Game 4 Video shows K-9 Boomer track down ‘missing and endangered’ 96-year-old man South Florida officers sue Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, claiming details in ‘The Rip’ are too real Driver dies after colliding with Cleveland County deputy, who was responding to call
OKLAHOMA CITY —
Oklahoma City’s Mobile Integrated Health Care Crisis Response Team has handled 5,089 mental health-related calls since its launch in May, providing specialized care and reducing strain on police resources.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter
These calls are diverted by dispatchers from police to mental health professionals to ensure people receive appropriate care. The program, housed within the Oklahoma City Fire Department, has led to significant improvements in emergency response outcomes.
Between May and February, the team prevented more than 1,500 people from needing hospital or emergency room visits, reducing hospital visits for these types of calls by 55%. Additionally, repeat calls have dropped by 58%.
>> Video Below: Hope Booth unveiled in downtown Oklahoma City to provide mental health support
“The demand for our team is high. We’re able to go out and respond with the Oklahoma City Police Department or the Fire Department or even EMSA whenever the primary need is related to mental health or substance abuse,” Lori Brown-Loftis, program manager for the response team, said.
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said the high call numbers validate the city’s approach, explaining that the evolving nature of emergency calls required an updated response strategy.
City leaders said the mental health team creates better outcomes for people in distress, benefits police officers and reduces the likelihood of repeated crises.
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