Mississippi Department of Mental Health hits milestones in crisis care
Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, April 8, 2026
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH) is proud to announce significant accomplishments that underscore its commitment to expanding and strengthening mental health crisis care across the state, which include the successful launch of the Mississippi Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Leadership Development class, the hosting of the first-ever Crisis Response Conference: Strengthening Crisis Care and more.
Introducing the MS CIT Leadership Development Class DMH recently launched the MS CIT Leadership Development class, the newest addition to a comprehensive suite of Crisis Intervention Team training programs. This growing cadre of CIT classes includes CIT Certification for Law Enforcement Officers, CIT for Correctional Officers, CIT for Public Safety Telecommunicators and CIT Train the Trainer — forming one of the most robust crisis training systems in the Southeast.
Unlike other CIT programs that focus on frontline officers, the Leadership Development class is specifically designed for law enforcement executives. The curriculum exposes agency leaders to the fundamentals of de-escalation and deflection strategies, officer recruitment and retention, quality operational standards and public relations; this equips command-level personnel with the tools and perspective needed to champion and sustain CIT programs within their agencies.
“The Leadership Development class represents a pivotal step forward in how we approach crisis
intervention in Mississippi,” Brent Hurley, Director of the Bureau of Crisis Services, said. “When law enforcement executives are equipped with the knowledge and commitment to support CIT at the command level, the entire community benefits. This training is about building lasting change from the top down.”
The class featured a distinguished group of instructors and presenters, including:
Bureau of Crisis Services training staff
Sgt. U’Neco Love, West Point Police Department — guest law enforcement instructor
Sheriff Ward Calhoun, Lauderdale County — guest law enforcement instructor
Representatives from NAMI Mississippi, who delivered an In Our Own Voice presentation, offering first-hand perspectives from individuals living with mental illness
“Seeing law enforcement leaders engage so deeply with the perspectives shared by our NAMI partners was truly powerful,” Linda Foley, Representative for the Division of Crisis Response, said. “This class bridges the gap between policy and practice, and I’m proud to be part of a team that’s making that connection happen.”
On March 17, 2026, the agency hosted the first-ever Crisis Response Conference: Strengthening Crisis Care at the Mississippi Agriculture Museum’s Forestry Auditorium in Jackson. More than 160 stakeholders from across the state came together for a full day of learning, collaboration and dialogue focused on strengthening Mississippi’s crisis care continuum.
The day’s agenda was designed to reflect the full scope of Mississippi’s crisis care system, with sessions covering:
Equity in every call — examining how crisis contacts are handled across the Contact Crisis Line and Contact Helpline, and reimagining a more equitable response for every Mississippian who reaches out
From crisis call to community — a panel tracing the full continuum of care, with voices from Mobile Crisis Emergency Response Teams (MCeRT), Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), Crisis Receiving Units (CRU), hospitals and youth crisis services
Peer support with lived experience — peer respite houses and peer support specialists in supporting people through and beyond crisis
Continuity of care after crisis — a second panel bringing together representatives from state hospitals, community mental health centers, and The ARC of Mississippi to discuss what happens after the crisis call ends and how systems can work together to support lasting recovery
This conference was opened by Wendy Bailey and Brent Hurley and drew participation from regional coordinators, specialized treatment facilities, hospitals, mental health centers and peer support organizations from across Mississippi.
“Across our nation, we are seeing a transformation in how communities respond to mental health
crises,” said Wendy Bailey, Executive Director of DMH. “Nationally recognized models emphasize the importance of building a full crisis continuum of care, ensuring that people can access the right support at the right time and in the right place.”
Mississippi’s 988 Call Centers Ranked #1 in the Nation In a landmark achievement for mental health crisis care, Mississippi’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call centers have earned the #1 in-state answer rate in the nation in 2026. This recognition reflects the extraordinary dedication of Mississippi’s crisis counselors and DMH’s sustained investment in building a responsive, high-quality crisis response system.
The numbers tell a powerful story. In just the first half of the current fiscal year, Mississippi’s 988 centers have:
Answered nearly 12,000 calls, putting Mississippi on track to completely surpass last
years total of more than 18,000 calls for the full fiscal year
Achieved a 98% in-state answer rate, being the highest in the country
Responded to more than 2,500 chat and text contacts, meeting Mississippians in crisis
through the communication channels they prefer
“In our state, we truly need to give it up for our 988 call centers, who are now #1 in the nation for the in-state answer rate,” said Bailey. “Nearly 12,000 calls answered in just the first half of the fiscal year, a 98% answer rate, and more than 2,500 chats and texts — these are not just statistics. Every single one of those contacts represents a person in Mississippi who reached out for help and was met with a caring, trained voice. That is something to be incredibly proud of.”
From the training room to the crisis line, Mississippi is demonstrating that meaningful, measurable progress in mental health crisis care is possible. With a nationally ranked 988 call center, a growing suite of CIT training programs reaching all levels of law enforcement and a first-of-its-kind statewide conference uniting over 160 crisis care professionals, DMH is proving that the Magnolia State is not just keeping pace with the national transformation in crisis response — it is helping to lead it.
For more information about DMH’s crisis services and programs, or to learn how to bring CIT training to the community, please visit our webpage at www.dmh.ms.gov/help/crisis-services .
DMH is supporting a better tomorrow by making a difference in the lives of Mississippians with mental illness, substance use disorders and intellectual or developmental disabilities one person at a time. Find services and support nearby by calling the DMH Helpline at 1-877-210-8513 or visiting www.dmh.ms.gov for more information.