NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans Health Department is excited to introduce the Mobile Crisis Intervention (MCIU) Dashboard, an interactive educational tool designed to provide transparency and insight into operations and outcomes. The design and information for the new dashboard were done in collaboration with the Vera Institute of Justice, Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD), Resources for Human Development Inc. (RHD), New Orleans Health Department, and New Orleans Office of Performance & Accountability. The Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative granted funded to develop the dashboard.
“The launch of the Mobile Crisis Intervention Unit’s interactive dashboard represents a significant step forward in our commitment to transparency, community engagement, and effective crisis response,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “This innovative tool not only empowers our residents with crucial information but also enhances our ability to support individuals with unmet behavioral health needs. By providing real-time data and fostering data-driven decision-making, we are setting a new standard for emergency response in New Orleans. Together, with our partners, we are dedicated to ensuring that every member of our community receives the care and support they deserve.”
“I am thrilled that we are investing in a responsive and compassionate team of crisis responders to meet the needs of people in some of their most vulnerable moments,” said New Orleans Health Department director Dr. Jennifer Avegno. “This is a service our community deserves, and we are committed to sharing the work that our New Orleans MCIU team does every day.”
“OPCD is proud to have been, and continue to be, a partner with the New Orleans Health Department, New Orleans Police Department, and Resources for Human Development in the stand-up and continuing successful operation of the Mobile Crisis Intervention Unit (MCIU),” said OPCD Executive Director Karl Fasold. “While we’ve been able to see the success of this program on a daily basis in providing mental health services to our citizens in crisis and in reducing the need for NOPD and NOEMS to respond to these events, the release of the dashboard in partnership with Microsoft will provide insight to the success of this program to everyone and show why so many other cities are emulating this program!”
The dashboard promotes community education by providing near real-time data on MCIU operations, from call volume to response time to demographic information about the community members served by the program. Additionally, it will provide valuable resources for MCIU partners, giving them access to detailed insights that support data-driven decision-making and improve the program’s effectiveness.
Our data shows that since the launch of operation as civilian first responders, 911 emergency operators have redirected calls 3,178 times to MCIU and provided critical service for those with unmet behavioral health needs. As of the MCIU start date (6/1/2023), OPCD has received 9,472 mental health calls (between NOPD and MCIU). Out of the total mental health calls, MCIU has received 3,178 MH calls to date (6/23/2024), which accounts for a 34% total diversion rate.
“I take great joy and pride knowing our city has chosen us to build, train, and lead a mental health and wellness team of action in such capacity,” said MCIU Director Tyesha Rhodes. “MCIU is providing cutting-edge services to the citizens of New Orleans and our partnering agencies. This new dashboard will only help and guide us in capturing, analyzing, and sharing the good work we are doing in our community.”
“The Vera Institute is proud to have partnered with MCIU leaders to produce this dashboard, an essential tool to monitor and continually improve care for community members in crisis,” said, Vera Redefining Public Safety Initiative Director Daniela Gilbert. “Community-centered public safety solutions rely on data-informed decision-making, as well as making information about these solutions accessible to the public to enable ongoing dialogue. This dashboard will support the continued success of MCIU’s work serving the people of New Orleans.”
The overall goal of the MCIU is to provide rapid response assistance for people experiencing a crisis with quick relief and resolution. The three main goals of the MCIU are to help people in crisis reach the most appropriate resolution to their crisis, divert nonviolent emergency behavioral health calls away from police and other emergency first responders, and reduce the use of hospital emergency departments and recidivism by offering behavioral crisis intervention and wellness support in the community. This level of transparency is crucial for community education and ensures that residents are well-informed about the resources available to them in times of crisis.
The New Orleans Health Department invites all community members and interested parties to explore the MCIU dashboard and utilize it as a tool for education, at MCIU Dashboard.
For more information about the Mobile Crisis Intervention Unit, please visit nola.gov/MCIU or email us at healthdepartment@nola.gov.
Note: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Line by calling 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to use the chat feature.
###