This series brings together community leaders and health experts to tackle the health issues affecting our communities and provides resources to improve your health and the health of your family.
Strategically Reducing 911 Calls
A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Emergency Services
With the population aging, first responders across the country are exposed to demanding and tense situations on a regular basis.
In this Community Care Conversation, Traci Krieg, Executive Director of Adult Behavioral Health at Tacoma-based Comprehensive Life Resources (CLR), recalls the story of a 72-year-old Pierce County woman who made 113 separate trips to the emergency room in one year.
The majority of the people we see are low-income. They are living in substandard housing. They haven’t had good care. – Traci Krieg, Counselor for Comprehensive Life Resources
As a result, such circumstances often mean that at any given time in Pierce County, 20 percent of people can utilize up to 80 percent of emergency services, an untenable cost in both human and financial terms.
In 2017, with funding from Elevate Health and other community partners, this realization led to creation of a new program called the Mobile Community Intervention Response Team (or, MCIRT for short), designed to improve the lives of those affected by mental illness, substance abuse, and/or unmet medical needs.
Read the full community story to learn about MCIRT's multidisciplinary approach to reducing costly interventions and connecting people to care and resources.
