NACo Series: 911 and Behavioral Health

Local government sits at the operational center of the nation’s emergency and crisis response systems. Counties in 48 states and the District of Columbia operate, fund and manage thousands of public safety answering points (PSAPs), or 911 call centers. These centers handle more than 240 million 911 calls each year, including an estimated 24 million behavioral health-related calls, with more than 100,000 telecommunicators serving as the first point of contact for people seeking help.

As behavioral health needs increasingly intersect with emergency response, counties are strengthening both how crisis calls are handled and the workforce responsible for answering them. Communities are building coordinated 911 call handling systems that connect people experiencing behavioral health crises to the most appropriate response, including amid changes to the crisis response landscape following the launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. At the same time, counties are investing in telecommunicators through stronger career pathways, expanded training and greater attention to employee health and well-being.

This two-part series highlights these complementary efforts, offering county leaders practical strategies, case studies and examples from communities across the country. Together, the briefs illustrate how counties can strengthen the systems, partnerships and workforce that underpin an effective behavioral health crisis response.

Anderson County, S.C.

Population: 203,718

Anderson County’s Sheriff’s Office runs Operation Jump Start, which recruits local high school seniors into 911 telecommunicator and detention deputy jobs. It partners with schools, hosts recruitment events, and arranges facility tours, then guides students 18 and older through hiring so they can start after graduation, building a local pipeline for the county’s 64-person emergency communications center.

NACo County News: Rural county program preps students for first responder careers

Lyon County, Kan.

Population: 32,179

Lyon County’s Emergency Communications Center introduced an AI assistant named “Betty” in December 2025 to handle routine non-emergency calls, which make up about 80% of volume, amid staffing shortages and a small applicant pool. After a four-month pilot, Betty now manages roughly 35% of calls, while emergency calls stay human-handled and staff monitor all AI interactions. The center reported lower workload pressure, better morale, and enough freed-up time to train two new telecommunicators, and commissioners approved redirecting funds from an unfilled position to cover Betty’s costs.

Cobb County, Ga.

Population: 766,149

Cobb County’s Department of Emergency Communications launched a workforce wellness initiative in November 2024, based on a Cobb 911 and Kennesaw State University survey of staff stress and mental health. It offers mental health resources, peer support, wellness activities, and an after-hours protocol that limits non-emergency contact and rotates on-call emergencies. It’s backed by the G.R.O.W. program and employee-led committees, and follow-up surveys show less burnout, better workplace culture, and positive retention trends.