San Francisco Mandates 911 Call Diversion Plan for Nonviolent Mental Health Crises

San Francisco will now require its Department of Emergency Management to implement a permanent plan for diverting certain 911 calls to trained behavioral health professionals. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the legislation Tuesday.

Under the new law, 911 dispatchers must redirect nonviolent mental health and substance use-related calls away from police to the city’s Street Crisis Response Team, operated by the Department of Public Health. The Department of Emergency Management must report back annually on implementation progress and outcomes.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen introduced the legislation. She has pushed for fewer police responses in mental health emergencies following several high-profile incidents where encounters with law enforcement led to use of force or fatalities. Ronen said handing these cases to clinical teams could reduce unnecessary arrests and improve outcomes for people in crisis.

The legislation builds on an existing pilot program launched in 2020 as part of the city’s Mental Health SF initiative. That initiative responded to public pressure to reduce police presence in mental health response, particularly after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The pilot allowed some 911 calls to be assessed by dispatchers, who then routed them to non-police crisis teams made up of paramedics, clinicians, and peer support staff.

According to data presented during the board’s hearings, the Street Crisis Response Team handled more than 5,300 incidents in 2023. Of those, fewer than 2 percent required police backup. City officials cited the low escalation rate as evidence the program works.

The new law codifies what had still been a discretionary process. Dispatchers will now be trained to identify crisis calls that meet specific criteria to qualify for a behavioral health team response. Scenarios may include reports of a person talking to themselves, appearing confused or disoriented, or engaging in behavior that suggests a psychiatric episode, with no immediate threat to public safety.

Ronen said the policy brings San Francisco into alignment with other large cities like Denver and Portland, which have pursued similar strategies. “This is a smarter and more humane way to deal with mental health crises,” she said during Tuesday’s board meeting.

The measure faced no formal opposition. The San Francisco Police Department supported the approach, saying officers are often not the best responders in psychiatric emergencies and would prefer to focus on public safety threats. Police Chief Bill Scott has previously stated that mental health calls account for a significant portion of patrol time, often with limited tools for crisis de-escalation.

The Department of Emergency Management must submit its first report on the program’s performance by July 1, 2025. The report will include data on dispatch decisions, outcomes, response times, and follow-up services. It will also assess staffing levels and identify any systemic obstacles that prevent effective diversion.

As of now, the Street Crisis Response Team operates during daytime and evening hours across most of the city, with plans to expand to 24/7 coverage. Funding for team growth is expected to come through the Department of Public Health’s Mental Health SF budget, which received additional allocations in the most recent city budget cycle.

While much of the pilot project’s work occurred in the Mission and Tenderloin neighborhoods, officials said citywide expansion is necessary. Data shows frequent 911 calls linked to mental health crises occur across all districts.

The legislation reflects a broader shift toward clinical response models as cities rethink public safety systems. For San Francisco, it marks a step away from law enforcement-led interventions and toward health-centered strategies.