On-site 911 social worker pilot

The social worker brings mental health support directly into our 911 response system.

Overview

The City is launching a new pilot program that places a social worker directly in the 911 center, the Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center (MECC). The social worker will start by fall 2025.

This social worker will help respond to non-emergency calls related to:

  • Mental health
  • Substance use
  • Other crises

The goal is to improve support for community members who are in crisis. This also allows our telecommunicators to focus on urgent or life-threatening calls.

This pilot is a partnership between the City and Hennepin County.

What the social worker will do

The social worker will respond to and assess calls transferred from the 911 center. 

They also follow up with callers to ensure they get continued help. 

They will provide:

  • Crisis intervention
  • Counseling
  • Support to individuals and families. 

They will connect people to services like:

  • Mental health care
  • Addiction treatment
  • Housing support

Program benefits

  • Faster and more appropriate help for people in crisis. 
  • Fewer unnecessary police responses to non-emergency situations. 
  • Better use of emergency resources. 
  • Stronger connections to long-term support services for residents. 

Hours

The social worker will work Monday–Friday, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Why it’s needed

  • Many 911 calls are related to mental health or substance use.
  • These calls can take longer to handle and aren’t always life-threatening emergencies.

By having a trained social worker on site, we can respond more effectively. We can connect people to the help they need faster.

By connecting callers to the appropriate support and resources, we could prevent 911 calls for the same issue.

text

Transforming safety services

We are building a community safety ecosystem that provides a better response for the needs of our community. The work is guided by the Minneapolis Safe and Thriving Communities Report.

Contact us

General and non-emergency questions

911 Department