First CALL Mental Health Response


This page provides background information about the First CALL program. Click here for the program's home page. If you are in crisis and require immediate assistance, please dial 9-1-1.

First CALL Group PhotoMembers of the Shaker Heights Mental Health Response Team. 


Members of the Mental Health Response program meeting5-City First CALL Program

A Mental Health Response program that started in Shaker Heights in 2022 has expanded to include four neighboring cities: Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Richmond Heights and South Euclid. The five-city program is titled First CALL (for Crisis Assistance and Local Linkage).

The program builds on Shaker’s success with the addition of three licensed mental health professionals and three peer support workers, who, along with the current Shaker Heights social worker, now cover all five partner-communities. The trained peer support personnel, each of whom has received mental health services, work under the supervision of licensed mental health professionals.

 In addition, a licensed mental health professional is assigned to the Chagrin Valley Dispatch, the joint dispatch center serving all five communities. Recovery Resources, a program of the MetroHealth System, hired the additional mental health professionals.

First CALL was announced at a May 7, 2024 news conference that included Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne and the mayors of all five cities: Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren, Richmond Heights Mayor Kim Thomas, Shaker Heights Mayor David Weiss, South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo,  and University Heights Mayor Michael Brennan.

 The expansion was made possible by grants from the following funders as well as support from the partner cities:

  •  Alcohol, Drug Addition & Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County
  • Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) of the U.S. Department of Justice.
  • George Gund Foundation
  • Cuyahoga County

Additional funding is expected.

Started in Shaker

Launched as a pilot in 2022, the Shaker Heights program was a success from the start. Developed in collaboration with MetroHealth, the program was designed to help the City's Police and Fire departments better respond to the mental health needs of the community. 

A year into the pilot, the city hired a licensed social worker as a full-time employee, embedded with first responders. The social worker responds to mental health crisis calls, engaging with the person in crisis and the first responders on scene to determine the best course of action. To ensure the safety of clinicians as well as first responders, social workers and peer support workers do not enter a scene or complete a follow-up visit if there are safety concerns. In 2023, the Shaker program had 645 referrals and completed 730 follow-ups.

The program also provides additional training in mental health response to police officers and firefighter/paramedics. 

In the News

Learn More

Contact 

CALL Program Coordinator Annette Wallace, MSW. LISW by email or call 216-491-1220