Marcus Alert

• Diminish the role of police in response to behavioral health crises.
• Shift primary response to qualified behavioral health professionals.
• Involve police in a supporting role, when necessary, for public safety.
• Prioritize de-escalation and non-lethal force.
• Decriminalize behavioral health crises and reduce stigma.
• Reduce arrests and traumatization; increase treatment and support.

Call, text or chat 988 if you or someone you know:

• Has persistently depressed mood or anxiety
• Expresses ideas about self-harm or harming others
• Has disorganized thoughts
• Expresses odd or bizarre thoughts
• Has edgy or nervous behavior that seems out of the ordinary
• Is seeing or hearing things that are not there
• Is not able to care for himself/herself because of a mental condition

In Richmond, you will be connected to clinically trained staff members of PRS CrisisLink, a contractor managed by the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority. Learn more here.

Call or text 911 if you or someone you know:

• Is violent
• Is actively harming himself/herself or others
• Is threatening to harm himself/herself or others
• Has access to a gun

In Richmond, you will be connected to the Richmond Department of Emergency Communications. Provide the address of the individual's location first. Responders are being dispatched, while you provide more information to ensure the correct response. 

You may be asked for a description of the person, the person’s history of violence, whether weapons are involved, whether anyone is in danger, whether anyone needs medical attention and whether the person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol and more. Providing this additional information ensures that the correct first responders are dispatched and does not slow the response. Learn more here.

When you call, text or chat 988 or call or text 911 for mental or behavioral health help, you will be asked questions meant to determine the level of response needed. Your call will be transferred, if needed, to the correct staff members. The information you provide is very important in determining the response received.

Level 1: Clinically trained staff of PRS CrisisLink, managed by the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, provide emotional support and referral to other needed services.

Level 2: Clinically trained staff of PRS CrisisLink, managed by the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, may dispatch mobile crisis response teams of one or two behavioral health staff members to the location within one hour, when available. Specialty teams respond for unique populations. Private providers, under some conditions, may provide mobile response.

Level 3: Trained staff of the Richmond Department of Emergency Communications may dispatch a co-response team of a specially trained Richmond Police Department officer and a qualified mental health professional of the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority to the location, when available. 

Level 4: Trained staff of the Richmond Department of Emergency Communications will dispatch a trained Richmond Police Department officer to the location. 

The state Marcus Alert plan was created as a collaboration between:

• Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
• Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
• Other state agency partners
• Marcus Alert State Planning Stakeholder Group

The Marcus Alert plan in Richmond is being implemented as a collaboration between:

• Richmond Behavioral Health Authority
• Richmond Police Department
• Richmond Department of Emergency Communications
• Local Planning Stakeholder Group

The plan takes a comprehensive, systems-wide approach to reducing Virginia’s reliance on law enforcement in behavioral health emergencies.
It includes changes at the state and local levels.

Some of the key elements of the state Marcus Alert plan:

• Framework for response levels
• Mobile behavioral health crisis teams
• Option for co-response teams
• Statewide training standards
• Public education campaigns

More information about the statewide Marcus Alert plan is available here.

Some of the key elements of the Marcus Alert plan in Richmond, one of the first five regions to implement it in the State:

• Voluntary database of health profiles (Now in place. Learn more here.)
• Planning process with stakeholders
• Three protocols for response
• Community resources
• Community education

The State Marcus Alert plan requires that the localities set up regular meetings with stakeholders in the community to help with getting community input into the local Marcus Alert plan. These stakeholders were invited to virtual meetings in Richmond.

2019-2020: The Richmond internal group met with members of the Marcus-David Peters family and community advocates.

January 2021: The Richmond Marcus Alert Planning Group began meeting semi-weekly. These meetings are ongoing.

May 2021: Invited community and organizational stakeholders began meeting quarterly with the Richmond Planning Group. These meetings are ongoing.

September 2021: Members of the public were invited to learn about the Marcus Alert, ask questions and offer comments during virtual community forums. Hosted and facilitated by the Richmond Human Rights Commission, the forums were recorded. 

Watch the Sept. 22, 2021, Community Forum

Watch the Sept. 25, 2021, Community Forum

Members of the public who were not able to attend a virtual Community Forum could email comments.

2022: The Richmond Marcus Alert Planning Group and the Richmond stakeholders group continue to meet at least twice a year to evaluate and make changes to the plan, as needed.

One of the requirements for the Virginia Marcus Alert plan is for localities to set up three protocols for response.

Protocol 1: Agreement and procedures on transferring calls from 911 to Regional Crisis Call Centers. Requires a framework for decision-making and dispatch from 911. The state plan specifies a four-level triage, from Level 1 as routine and Level 4 as emergent. 

Protocol 2: Agreement and procedures on using law enforcement as a back-up to mobile crisis teams.

Protocol 3: Specialized procedures for law enforcement responding to behavioral health emergencies.

One of the requirements for the state Marcus Alert plan is for the localities to provide additional community resources. Here are the resources in Richmond:

Currently in place: Richmond Behavioral Health Authority Emergency Services, Residential Crisis Stabilization Unit, Crisis Triage Center, Regional Call Center

In development: Regional Mobile Crisis Teams

In development: Richmond Behavioral Health Authority 23-hour observation center

The Marcus Alert Local Planning Group submitted its plan to the state on Oct. 15, 2021.

Changes began on Dec. 1, 2021, when the Richmond Department of Emergency Communications began transferring some emergency calls for mental and behavioral health crises to the Regional Crisis Call Line, managed through a contract by the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA.)

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline became 988 in July 2022.

The co-response teams of a Richmond Police Officer and a qualified mental health professional began to be dispatched to certain situations in August 2022.

The Local Planning Group will continue to meet with the Local Stakeholder Group twice a year and make adjustments and improvements as needed, based on the outcomes.

The Local Planning Group will continue to work with the State Planning Group to gather and submit data to evaluate the Marcus Alert system and to make adjustments as needed.