Henderson Launches Mental Health Treatment Response for 988 Calls

The City of Henderson breaks new ground in mental health treatment by becoming the first city in Nevada to dispatch licensed behavioral health professionals directly to anyone who calls the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 

Nevada already has a wide breadth of resources for those impacted by mental health conditions and substance abuse. Nestled in the Silver State, Henderson features inpatient and outpatient clinics where clients can recover in the pristine desert landscape. The city’s move represents the latest shift in how the community responds to mental health crises by moving care from phone lines into the field.

Henderson Expands Behavioral Health Crisis Response

The City of Henderson’s Crisis Response Team already responds to 911 calls involving behavioral or mental health emergencies. Later in 2026, the team plans to take the additional step of becoming the first in Nevada to dispatch licensed mental health professionals directly to people calling the 988 crisis lifeline when a call cannot be resolved over the phone. 

Henderson’s team starts with five clinicians and two navigators. They’re a mix of licensed social workers, professional marriage and family therapists and alcohol and drug counselors. All clients receive case management, so no one falls through the cracks. 

This isn’t a one-time intervention. Officials know that Nevada ranks near the bottom in terms of mental health wellness among teens and adults. To address the gap, the team sets up treatment plans and meets with individuals as often as needed for their case.

Linking Mental Health to Addiction

Many people who call crisis lines deal with more than one issue at a time. Fortunately, behavioral health professionals responding to 988 calls can address co-occurring conditions involving mental health crises and substance use disorders. These simulatneous conditions are often referred to as dual diagnosis.

According to Henderson officials, roughly 10-20% of all 911 calls relate to behavioral health. This equates to about 24 million calls annually nationwide. A significant portion of those calls involve individuals with both a mental health condition such as depression and underlying substance use disorders. Rather than law enforcement alone, licensed clinicians can open a path for comprehensive mental health treatment and referrals.

Clinical supervisor Lisa Kelso described their operations. “If the call is not resolved on the phone with a 9-8-8 counselor, we will be the first team to be dispatched directly from 9-8-8 to help that individual in crisis,” she noted. The team offers suicide assessments, diagnosing and treatment recommendations.

Integrated Behavioral Health Treatment Matters

For individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, immediate professional intervention bridges clients to longer-term care.

When a clinician responds to a 988 call, they assess for co-occurring disorders, recommend treatment facilities and connect the individual with services that go beyond crisis stabilization. This often includes referrals to residential or outpatient behavioral health programs or medication management services.

Henderson’s model reflects a growing national consensus. With mental health gaps widening across the nation, crisis response should lead to care, not just containment.

Treatment Approaches in the Henderson Model

The Crisis Response Team in Henderson mirrors the many evidence-based practices featured in formal mental health treatment programs. Licensed clinical social workers and therapists use approaches such as:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) addresses thought patterns tied to depression, anxiety and addiction
• Crisis intervention and suicide risk assessment remains a core function of 988
• Case management and care coordination connects individuals with appropriate resources after initial contact

These are the same modalities used in residential treatment centers, which makes mobile crisis response a natural on-ramp to more intensive behavioral health care.

Low Awareness Remains a Challenge

Despite the 988 lifeline’s availability since 2022, public awareness remains low. Indeed, more than 12 Henderson residents interviewed didn’t know the lifeline existed but wished they had known about it sooner.

Cindy Ginsberg, a 30-year Henderson resident, never heard of 988 before now. “I think that’s wonderful,” she nodded. “Anything for suicide prevention or when someone is in crisis, I think that’s wonderful,” and added that she had lost a family member to suicide.

Spreading awareness of both the 988 lifeline and the low-cost resources connected to it remains essential, especially for folks who don’t know what options are available.

Finding Comprehensive Mental Health Treatment

If you or someone you love has a mental health condition, a substance use disorder or both, comprehensive care can start now. Dialing 800-908-4823 (Sponsored) or browsing our directory for centers located anywhere in the country can make a difference in creating a better tomorrow. Begin today.

Author

Eric Owens

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Eric Owens has been a writer and editor for various businesses as well as his own successful websites. He has extensive experience creating content in the health and wellness space and the sustainability space. He holds a bachelor degree in Philosophy which helped him with presenting complex information in a simple way that all audiences can understand.

Editor

Peter Lee, PhD

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Peter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history during the Cold War. His primary focus is the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century. He has published widely on how the public has used popular culture as a mechanism to address political and social shifts throughout time