NYC Health + Hospitals To Take Over Operations Of B-HEARD, 911 Mental Health Crisis Response Initiative

NYC Health + Hospitals announced that it will take over operations of the city’s health-led response to 911 mental health calls, Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division (B-HEARD), which dispatches medical and mental health professionals for nonviolent mental health 911 calls. The new model is expected to take effect in the spring of 2026. Since launching in 2021, B-HEARD teams have responded to nearly 35,000 calls, as of June 2025.

After the transition, B-HEARD will continue to send out response teams to nonviolent 911 mental health calls with medical and mental health professionals. = Fire Department . . .