Kern County California Adopts Rave Mobile Safety to Bolster Preparedness for Mental Health Emergencies

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Oct. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rave Mobile Safety (Rave), provider of critical communication and data platform solutions trusted to save lives, today announced Kern County's decision to use its mental health grant to adopt the Rave 911 Suite. These solutions will improve coordination between mental health professionals, emergency dispatchers and public safety agencies to ensure better preparedness and reduced response times during emergencies.

According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, mental health calls are approaching 10 percent of the total calls for service. These calls are often time-consuming and can be dangerous. Individuals experiencing a mental health emergency often have difficulty communicating which can lead to misunderstandings that may result in aggressive behaviors. Responsible for protecting more than 839,000 individuals, the Kern County Sheriff's Office understands the importance of leveraging new solutions to strengthen communication and processes around these mental health crises. 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that upwards of 40 percent of individuals have additional access and functional needs, 1 in 10 children live with or experience a mental or emotional disorder and 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety and PTSD. While mental health conditions are prevalent, there is still little or no coordination between mental health professionals and public safety agencies. This lack of collaboration can escalate sensitive situations leading to arrests or hospitalization of individuals experiencing a mental health emergency. In fact, the American Psychological Association reports that 64 percent of inmates have mental health concerns.

By implementing Rave 911 Suite, first responders will have information about the situation the moment 9-1-1 is called, including access to the caller's medical conditions and family member information from their Smart911 Safety Profile. Individuals experiencing a mental health emergency typically cannot articulate special needs, making this technology key in helping first responders understand the level of attention and care necessary to create the best end result, which often means providing crisis intervention or mental health treatment.

Additional Rave 911 Suite benefits include:

• Ability to limit sirens or lights, or to bring a police crisis intervention team (CIT) to assist in calming individuals
• Availability of updated, confidential, critical information that can be shared immediately across jurisdictional lines
• Chat components that allow dispatchers to text an individual if they are unable to speak
• Access to an ecosystem of nonprofits which can partner with law enforcement to provide disciplinary training

"The Rave 911 Suite helps align law enforcement and mental health professionals to foster a collaborative, sustainable partnership. With more efficient communication, first responders can provide better services during mental health emergencies, diverting people away from the criminal justice system and towards the right crisis intervention treatment," said Todd Piett, President and CEO of Rave Mobile Safety. "We applaud Kern County for acknowledging the deficit in mental health services and recognizing that emergency communication solutions can be crucial for helping the large population of Americans that suffer from mental health conditions and disabilities."

To learn more about how the Rave 911 Suite works to deliver powerful communication tools to state's nationwide, visit: https://www.ravemobilesafety.com/rave-911-suite/

About Rave Mobile Safety
Rave Mobile Safety provides the leading critical communication and data platform trusted to help save lives. Used by leading education and healthcare institutions, enterprises and state and local public safety agencies, the award-winning Rave platform including Rave Alert™, Rave 911 Suite, Rave Panic Button™, Rave Guardian™, Rave Prepare™ and Rave Eyewitness™ protects millions of individuals. Rave Mobile Safety is headquartered in Framingham, MA. For more information, please visit https://www.ravemobilesafety.com.

SOURCE Rave Mobile Safety

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