JHU’s plans for the Behavioral Health Crisis Support Team are rooted in engagement with members of our community of students, faculty, staff, and neighbors to obtain feedback as we are developing and finalizing details.

This will be a multiphase process, incorporating feedback to ensure that this program meets the unique needs of our community.

December – February: Comprehensive Assessment

  • Our project consultant, Dr. Ronald Means, conducted a comprehensive assessment of JHU’s current behavioral health crisis services and the range of responses to behavioral health crises in our community. At this time, he also performed a literature review of behavioral health crisis management in university settings.

March/April: Community Engagement and Feedback

  • In early spring, we held more than 15 listening sessions with student leaders, community and neighborhood advocates, and faculty and staff groups. Recently, our outreach efforts expanded to include key external stakeholders, including neighborhood and community leaders, local behavioral health providers, LGBTQ advocates, elected officials, community organizations, and city government officials, where we have also been introducing the concept and soliciting feedback. In all, we have engaged over 250 people, representing over 70 organizations. This number will continue to grow as we further develop and refine our approach.

May: Model Refinement

  • The pilot model will be adapted based on the feedback and recommendations collected in preparation for project implementation this summer. 

Summer: Implementation

  • Staff hiring and training
  • Operational integration with existing behavioral health services
  • Pilot promotion and education

November 2021: Pilot launch