El Paso’s Crisis Intervention Team, a co-response unit pairing specially trained police officers with Emergence Health Network clinicians, is handling a growing share of 911 calls as mental health emergencies surge. The El Paso Police Department has logged roughly 900 emergency detentions so far this year, with the CIT covering about half of those cases, according to reporting by KFOX.
Strong Diversion Results
Since its formal launch in 2019, the CIT program has posted notable success in steering people away from incarceration and emergency rooms. Emergence Health Network chief operating officer Chrystal Davis told KFOX that EHN recorded 3,809 CIT interventions, of which 98% were diverted and not sent to jail or to the emergency room. The co-response model assigns a clinician and a specially trained officer to respond together, providing on-scene assessment, verbal de-escalation, and connection to follow-up care. The program also operates a 24-hour crisis hotline, mobile crisis units, and an Extended Observation Unit designed to keep people out of hospital emergency departments when possible.
Capacity Constraints
Despite strong results, capacity has not kept pace with demand. The City of El Paso’s fiscal recovery plan sets aside targeted dollars for the CIT program, but only part of the needed positions have been funded. Advocates warn that the shortfall leaves teams stretched thin during busy periods, with some calls waiting for a co-response unit instead of receiving immediate help. Officers sign up for CIT shifts on a volunteer basis, and calls labeled “in progress,” including possible suicides, jump to the top of the dispatch list.
Police and EHN leaders told KFOX they hope to build out staffing and mobile units as new funding and clinic capacity come online. Independent coverage by El Paso Matters found the program had diverted hundreds of people within its first years while underscoring the need for more teams and resources. The heavy call load reflects rising public awareness, with community members increasingly requesting the CIT by name when calling dispatchers, officials said.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://hoodline.com/2026/05/el-paso-s-911-mental-health-meltdown-stretched-crisis-team-races-to-keep-up/