Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division, known as B-HEARD, is a ground-breaking, health-centered response to 911 mental health calls.
B-HEARD teams include FDNY Emergency Medical Technicians/Paramedics and a mental health professional from NYC Health + Hospitals that are dispatched as first responders to people experiencing a mental health emergency.
B-HEARD is part of New York City’s commitment to treat mental health crises as public health problems, not public safety issues. B-HEARD teams are jointly operated by the New York City Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services and NYC Health + Hospitals, with oversight from the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health.
The goals of the B-HEARD pilot program are:
What you will do:
Training: Social Workers and EMTs/Paramedics are trained together over the course of several weeks, prior to responding to 911 mental health calls. Training will provide de-escalation and other clinical skills necessary to ensure team members are able to support and connect New Yorkers to appropriate levels of care.
Learn more about B-HEARD
Contact: BHEARDjobs@nychhc.org