11 TV Hill: Answering Baltimore’s calls for mental health emergencies

NORTH BALTIMORE APARTMENT BUILDING. A DEADLY SHOOTING INVOLVING POLICE IN WEST BALTIMORE. BOTH CALLS COMING JUST HOURS APART FROM ONE ANOTHER. AND BOTH INVOLVE PEOPLE IN CRISIS. THAT WAS WEDNESDAY. AND THEN ONE DAY LATER, ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE OPENED AN INVESTIGATION OF A MAN WHO DIED IN POLICE CUSTODY IN WEST BALTIMORE, AWAITING HELP FOR A CRISIS OF HIS OWN. EVERYONE, I’M JASON NEWTON. WELCOME TO 11 TV HILL. BALTIMORE POLICE TOLD 11 NEWS. IN SOME CASES, THE DEPARTMENT EXPERIENCES THESE TYPES OF BEHAVIORAL CALLS DAILY. OFTENTIMES, POLICE ARE THE FIRST CALLED TO THE SCENES. NOW, BACK IN 2021, BALTIMORE CITY SHIFTED ITS WAY OF HAVING ITS OFFICERS HANDLING MENTAL HEALTH CALLS. THE CITY BEGAN DIVERTING ITS 911 CALLS TO A HOTLINE CRISIS. THE ORGANIZATION BALTIMORE CRISIS RESPONSE MANS THOSE PHONE LINES, OFFERING PROFESSIONAL HELP TO THOSE IN NEED. THE HOPE IS THAT THESE CRISES DON’T ESCALATE INTO ACTS OF VIOLENCE. THESE 911 TRANSFERS ARE ONLY SOME OF THE CALLS THAT BC I HANDLES. TEAMS ALSO STAFFED THE 24 OVER 7988 CRISIS LINE. AND JOINING US THIS MORNING FROM BALTIMORE CRISIS RESPONSE IS TINA FIELDS. SHE IS THE DIRECTOR OF CRISIS SYSTEMS AND OPERATIONS. GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD MORNING. WE SPOKE A LITTLE BIT. THERE IS A LARGE LIST OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE COULD BE CALLING YOU FOR AND WE KIND OF FORGET. AND ONE WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE ECONOMIC CRISIS. I MEAN, IT IS A TRUE CRISIS. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE STRESS YOU GO THROUGH, IT IS ABSOLUTELY. AND PEOPLE CRISIS IS SELF-DEFINED BECAUSE LOTS OF THINGS CAN MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE IN CRISIS. IT COULD BE THAT YOU’RE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS. YOU COULD BE REALLY DEPRESSED OR REALLY ANXIOUS, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE THAT YOU LOST YOUR JOB, OR YOU’RE FIGHTING WITH YOUR FAMILY, OR YOU’RE FACING EVICTION OR THINGS LIKE THAT, OR YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR. SO PEOPLE CAN CALL US ABOUT ANY OF THAT STUFF BECAUSE IT’S UPSETTING. IT IS A CRISIS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, FOR THAT INTERNAL THERMOMETER. LIKE, WHEN DOES IT SET SOMETHING OFF? WHEN I THINK I NEED TO CALL TINA, I NEED TO DIAL 988. WHAT DO YOU WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE CAN CALL US FOR ANYTHING. AND I MEAN, WE ARE THERE FOR EVERYTHING. SO IF PEOPLE DO NEED RESOURCES, IF THEY DON’T HAVE FOOD IN THEIR REFRIGERATOR, WE CAN HELP GET THEM CONNECTED TO A PANTRY, TO TO FOOD STAMPS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THEN IF PEOPLE ARE LONELY, THEY CAN CALL US. JUST HAVING THAT CONNECTION IS HUGE. LIKE THAT HELPS US NOT GET INTO FURTHER CRISIS. BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH SOMEBODY. IF PEOPLE ARE AWAKE AT 4 A.M. AND REALLY NEED TO TALK, WE’RE THERE FOR THAT BECAUSE WE’RE 24 OVER SEVEN SO PEOPLE CAN CALL US FOR ANYTHING, AND WE WANT TO TALK TO PEOPLE BEFORE THEY’RE IN BIG CRISIS. BUT OF COURSE, WE TALK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING BIG, SIGNIFICANT CRISIS EVERY DAY. SO PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE OR ARE THINKING ABOUT USING MORE SUBSTANCES OR THINGS LIKE THAT, WE CAN TALK TO THEM AND HELP KIND OF SAFETY PLAN AND AND TALK IT THROUGH, FIND OUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN THEIR LIFE THAT’S BROUGHT THEM TO THIS POINT. HELP THEM BUILD A PLAN, BUILD AN ACTION PLAN. HELP THEM MAKE PLANS TO STAY SAFE AND CONNECT THEM TO RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP THEM STAY SAFE AFTER THE CALL ENDS. SO THAT’S THE PERSON WHO KNOWS THEMSELVES ON THE INSIDE. WHAT ABOUT THE PERSON THAT LIVES WITH THAT PERSON OR WORKS WITH THEM? ARE THERE THINGS THAT THAT COULD TOUCH OFF A THOUGHT IN MY MIND THAT MAYBE THIS IS AN IDEA THAT MAYBE HE OR SHE SHOULD BE CALLING NINE, EIGHT, EIGHT? OR I COULD CALL FOR THEM. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FAMILY MEMBERS, OF FRIENDS, OF COWORKERS WHO DO CALL NINE, EIGHT, EIGHT FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF THAT THEY’RE SEEING SOMETHING IN SOMEBODY THEY CARE ABOUT THAT’S DIFFERENT OR CONCERNING. SO THEY CAN CALL US AND TALK THAT THROUGH. SO IF THEY’RE SEEING THINGS LIKE THEIR PERSON IS ISOLATING, THEY’RE NOT COMING OUT AS MUCH, THEY’RE NOT GETTING OUT OF BED, THEY’RE NOT EATING. THEY’RE YOU KNOW, THEY’RE ACTING DIFFERENTLY. THEN TALK TO YOUR PERSON OR GIVE US A CALL AND WE CAN HELP YOU TALK TO THAT PERSON. WE CAN TALK TO THEM WITH YOU. WE CAN TELL YOU WHAT TO SAY. WE CAN TELL YOU WHAT TO LOOK FOR. WE CAN TELL YOU WARNING SIGNS. IF YOUR PERSON IS ACTING DIFFERENTLY AND YOU’RE JUST LIKE, I DON’T KNOW IF I SHOULD BE CONCERNED, THEN GIVE US A CALL. WE’LL TALK IT THROUGH. I THINK PEOPLE RUN INTO THAT BECAUSE YOU’RE LIKE, I’M JUST GOING TO MIND MY BUSINESS BECAUSE. BECAUSE WHAT DO I KNOW? MAYBE IT’S JUST HAVING A TOUGH DAY AND THAT’S WHERE YOU CAN COME IN TO HELP SORT OF BRIDGE THAT GAP A BIT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND MINDING OUR BUSINESS IS GREAT. IT’S POLITE, BUT IT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE’RE HUMAN. WE WANT TO CONNECT TO OTHER PEOPLE. SO SOMETIMES MINDING OUR BUSINESS MAY NOT BE THE SAFEST THING. JUST ASKING HOW ARE YOU? SOMETHING’S DIFFERENT. ARE YOU OKAY? CAN REALLY HELP BUILD CONNECTION. CAN HELP STAVE OFF LONELINESS, WHICH CAN LEAD TO MORE CHALLENGES AND CAN IN FACT SAVE A LIFE. TO BE ABLE TO REBUILD THAT. JUST ASKING, ARE YOU OKAY? SOMETHING’S WRONG. I KNOW THAT SOMETHING’S GOING ON WITH YOU. I JUST WANT TO CHECK ON YOU. I CARE. WHY DON’T WE CALL NINE, EIGHT, EIGHT TOGETHER? I SCRIBBLED DOWN SOME OF THE THINGS ON YOUR WEBSITE. SUICIDE, STRESS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, LONELINESS, DRUG AND ALCOHOL, ECONOMIC. ALL OF THESE THINGS FALL UNDER THE UMBRELLA, AND YOU’RE MAKING A PUSH TO DO A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. SOON YOU’LL DO THE CALLS, BUT TEXT AND CHAT WILL BECOME SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE. YEAH. OR IS THAT HAPPENING NOW ALREADY? WELL, IT IS HAPPENING NOW AT TWO CENTERS IN MARYLAND, BUT BCRI IS ABOUT TO START TEXT AND CHAT NEXT WEDNESDAY. ON JULY 1ST WE GO LIVE WITH IT, WHICH IS A REALLY GREAT RESOURCE, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO MAY, YOU KNOW, MY KIDS DON’T CALL ME. THEY TEXT ME, RIGHT? THEY FACETIME ME LIKE THEY’RE USED TO TALKING WITH THEIR THUMBS. SO IT’S A REALLY GREAT OPTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE OR FOR PEOPLE THAT JUST DON’T HAVE THE ENERGY TO TALK ON THE PHONE OR JUST DON’T WANT TO. IT’S A GOOD OPTION THAT THEY CAN JUST PICK UP THEIR PHONE AND AND TEXT NINE, EIGHT, EIGHT AND RIGHT START AND THEY CAN GET CONNECTED WITH A TRAINED COUNSELOR LIKE ME, LIKE THE THE FOLKS THAT I WORK WITH WHO HAVE EXTENSIVE TRAINING IN ALL THE THINGS THAT OUR, OUR FOLKS CAN CONTACT US ABOUT, ABOUT 30S LEFT HOW PROUD OF THIS ORGANIZATION ARE YOU TO JUST KNOW THAT PEOPLE BY THE HUNDREDS ARE ACTUALLY CALLING AND TRUSTING IN YOU? IT’S IT’S AMAZING. I AM SO HONORED TO DO THIS WORK AND I AM ALWAYS JUST AMAZED AT THE PEOPLE THAT CALL US, THAT THEY ARE SO BRAVE THAT THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRISIS. THEY’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETIMES THEIR WORST DAY, AND THEY PICK UP THE PHONE, AND THEY’RE WILLING TO TRUST A STRANGER WITH WHAT THEY TALK WITH THEIR WORST DAY. AND THE PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH ARE SO SKILLED AND SO COMPASSIONATE AND JUST SO GOOD AT LISTENING AND HELPING PEOPLE MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY, HELPING PEOPLE MOVE TO A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN GET OFF THE PHONE AND START TO FEEL LIKE THEY’RE RESOLVING THEIR CRISIS, START TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN STAY SAFE, THAT THEY CAN CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, THAT THEY CAN GET RESOURCES TO HELP THEM MOVE OUT OF THAT CRISIS. IT’S IT’S REALLY IS AN HONOR TO DO THIS WORK AND TO WHEN WE WE DO A LOT OF FOLLOW UP CALLS WHEN WE CALL SOMEBODY BACK. AND I HEAR THAT COUNSELOR SAVED MY LIFE. LIKE, I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND I TALKED TO THIS PERSON AND THEY REALLY DID SAVE MY LIFE LIKE THAT. LIKE I HAVE CHILLS RIGHT NOW. IT REALLY IS AN HONOR. BUT IT STARTS WITH PEOPLE PICKING UP THE PHONE. AND THAT IS JUST IT IS SUCH A BRAVE AND VULNERABLE THING. AND IT IT REALLY IS JUST TRULY JUST IT’S REALLY HUMBLING TO BE ABLE TO BE THAT CONNECTION FOR PEOPLE. WELL, YOU DO WONDERFUL WORK. THANK YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU. APPRECIATE YOU COMING BY TODAY. ALSO, AGAIN, IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO IS STRUGGLING OR NEEDS TO TALK, THERE’S ALWAYS SOMEONE WILLING TO LISTEN. THAT HELP IS AVAILABLE 24 OVER SEVEN ON THE 988 HOTLINE. IT’S EASY.