HOUSTON – When someone calls 911 during a mental health crisis, police may be the first to arrive.
But Houston has built specialized programs designed to connect people in crisis with the right kind of help — including mental health professionals who can work alongside first responders or, in some cases, respond without police.
The question now is whether those options can keep up with demand — and whether they have enough long-term funding to remain available.
Houston’s 911 system is already seeing the demand
In fiscal year 2025, Houston’s Crisis Call Diversion Program diverted 4,036 calls away from an HPD or Houston Fire Department response.
The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD is part of that effort, with mental health professionals working alongside 911 dispatchers to assess what kind of response is needed.
Sometimes, that means police or EMS.
Other times, it can mean a mobile crisis team.
And in some cases, a clinician can help resolve the crisis over the phone.
Chiara Jaranilla, who manages the Crisis Call Diversion Program at The Harris Center , said the goal is to move away from sending the same response to every mental health call.
“An effective response to a mental health crisis in Houston would move away from the traditional response or pattern of sending the same resources to every call,” Jaranilla said, “and towards assessing the person that’s in crisis so that we’re really sending the right response at the right time.”
CIRT pairs officers with mental health clinicians
One of Houston’s specialized response options is the Crisis Intervention Response Team, or CIRT.
The program pairs a police officer with a mental health clinician to respond to certain calls.
In fiscal year 2025, CIRT received 2,280 calls for service.
But having multiple response options available depends on capacity — and funding.
Federal funding raises questions about the future
Houston’s Rapid Response program has provided a clinician-only response to certain 911 calls.
But that program relied on federal COVID relief funding.
That funding is scheduled to run through November 30, 2026, raising questions about what happens to the response after that money is gone.
Without another long-term funding source, the clinician-only response could disappear.
Jaranilla said temporary funding can help launch innovative programs, but long-term investment is what makes those services consistently available.
“Short-term funding is fantastic because we’re able to make these cool ideas into realities for programs and services for the city,” Jaranilla said. “But it’s really the long-term investment that allows us to make these services available and consistent when people in the community need them.”
Houston is increasing investment in HPD’s mental health program
Houston’s new budget also puts more money into HPD’s dedicated Mental Health Program.
Funding for the program increases by about $1.2 million, and the budget includes more full-time equivalent positions.
The program includes CIRT, the Homeless Outreach Team, Crisis Intervention Training and other mental health initiatives.
But while the city is investing more in HPD’s program, other parts of Houston’s mental health response have relied on temporary funding.
That creates a larger question for the city: how can Houston keep alternative responses available when temporary funding ends?
For people experiencing a mental health crisis, getting the right help at the right time can help prevent a situation from escalating.
And that can mean a safer outcome for the person in crisis, their family and the first responders who answer the call.
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