The Los Angeles Department of Mental Health launched a new campaign as part of an effort to increase awareness of the county’s Alternative Crisis Response, it was announced Thursday.
L.A. County officials released a public awareness video, as well as billboards, posters and social media posts to inform the public of the campaign. They’ve also updated the county’s website, dmh.lacounty.gov/acr, highlighting members of the Field Intervention Teams, who help individuals and families during a crisis.
“Ensuring that individuals in mental health crises receive the proper care and support they need is essential for the well-being of our communities and is critical in supporting the county’s commitment to a `Care First’ approach,” L.A. County Chair Pro Tem Supervisor Hilda Solis said in a statement.
Throughout L.A. County, mental health crisis support is accessible through the department’s 24/7 help line at 800-854-7771. People who call the line can receive local crisis support, appointments and referrals, substance-use disorder services, and veteran and military family support. A call center team member can help determine the best resource to help an individual, and if required, dispatch FIT members to the caller’s location.
According to DMH, after FIT members de-escalate the situation, the ACR program provides care in the “least restrictive level of care possible,” and offering psychiatric urgent care for short-term stabilization or a crisis residential treatment program.
“For too long, 9-1-1 was the only place to call for help when someone experienced a mental health crisis,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. “Now, the county has teams of unarmed, trained mental health professionals who are responding directly to people in crisis.”
In 2024, FIT members were dispatched 21,000 times, which is up 35% from 2023 with 94% of those calls resolved without law enforcement involvement, according to DMH. Due to countywide demand, the program has doubled over the last two years to 71 FIT teams.
“Throughout this campaign, LACDMH is able to feature our compassionate mental health professionals who arrive at your doorstop when there is a mental health emergency,” DMH Director Lisa Wong said in a statement.
“From our registered nurses and psychologists to community health workers and social workers, our caring and skilled team members provide a calming presence. We feel it is vitally important to increase the public’s awareness of this resource,” she added.