Alternative Response Team (ART)

The Alternative Response Team supports individuals experiencing less acute mental health needs or overdose emergencies. ART provides immediate care and helps individuals begin the path to recovery — offering tools, follow-up and connections to long-term support.

About the Alternative Response Team

ART includes paramedics, behavioral health navigators and peer recovery support specialists. This team responds to non-violent, low-acuity behavioral health calls and substance use emergencies to stabilize individuals on scene and reduce barriers to long-term care.

What ART Does:

  • Responds to overdoses and less acute mental health calls with trained clinicians and paramedics.
  • Provides tools for immediate treatment, including Narcan kits, test strips and Suboxone inductions to reduce withdrawal symptoms, reduce barriers to substance-use treatment and connect people to recovery.
  • Connects individuals to long-term support, including Medication-Assisted Treatment programs, peer recovery groups, housing, employment and healthcare services.

By combining emergency medical care with long-term support, ART helps individuals recover safely, access needed resources and avoid future crises.

FAQs

What kind of training do Mobile Integrated Healthcare personnel have?

All MIH team members hold professional licenses or certifications specific to their roles and have experience in crisis response:

  • Clinicians have a master’s degree in a mental health field and are licensed professionals (LPC, LADC, LMFT, or LCSW).
  • Response navigators have degrees in mental health and certifications from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
  • Paramedics are licensed emergency responders with specialized behavioral health training.
  • Peer recovery support specialists are certified professionals with lived experience in recovery, trained to help others navigate similar challenges.

Why is Oklahoma City implementing Mobile Integrated Healthcare?

As Oklahoma City continues to grow, the needs of its residents also are changing. MIH was created to ensure that when someone calls 911 for a behavioral or mental health issue, the response they receive is appropriate and effective. By expanding the City’s ability to respond to these specific types of emergencies, MIH also helps police, firefighters and medics stay focused on the calls they’re best trained to handle.

How does Mobile Integrated Healthcare work with other mental health organizations?

MIH collaborates with local mental health providers, nonprofit agencies and social services organizations to connect residents with ongoing care. After an initial response, team members may refer individuals to services that support long-term recovery, housing stability, healthcare access and more.

How did the City determine that Mobile Integrated Healthcare was needed?

The Mobile Integrated Healthcare program originates from work that began in 2020 with the creation of the Law Enforcement Policy Task Force and the Community Policing Working Group. The result of the meaningful work and collaboration of these two groups was the Recommendation Report(PDF, 2MB) received by Council in March 2022. From that report, the Public Safety Partnership was formed to ensure a sustained focus on the implementation of those recommendations. The Public Safety Partnership continues to be a collaboration among community stakeholders, city council, OKCPD, OKCFD and residents to advance public safety for the Oklahoma City community.

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