Crisis calls grow as Missoula’s Mobile Support Team sharpens

Martin Kidston

(Missoula Current) The number of calls received by Missoula's Mobile Support Team increased sharply last year, though the program's presence in the city's emergency response portfolio has helped streamline the process.

Assistant chief John Petroff, who serves as the program's health and wellness manager, on Wednesday said the Mobile Support Team continues to grow and evolve. In 2024, the team responded alone to calls 51% of the time without the support of police and fire.

That was a goal of the program when it was launched roughly five years ago.

“One thing we strive for is how often we can respond without other responders,” said Petroff. “We're starting to see that, as we're part of the normal system, we're getting on those calls and being able to respond safely and knowing if it's something we need backup for.”

The team responded to 2,788 calls in 2024, up from 1,985 calls the prior year. On average, the team spends roughly one hour on a call, and its case facilitators followed up on more than 1,000 calls.

“That's our case facilitators going out after the crisis and connecting those people to other resources,” said Petroff. “We have a lot of people in a mental health challenge often, so there are a lot of repeat calls that we continue to respond to.”

The Mobile Support Team launched in 2020 to help fill a gap in Missoula's emergency response network. Among other things, it sought to provide the right response to a mental health crisis and eliminate the presence of police or fire.

The program was buoyed in part by the emergency levy passed by voters last year. That provided the program with a permanent funding stream, though Petroff said needs remain, including a permanent location and the possibility of 24-hour service.

As it stands, however, that funding isn't available. A bill passed by the Legislature this year did extend Medicaid and the program's ability to seek reimbursement. To date, Petroff said the reimbursement stands at roughly $141,000 with some still pending.

“Most likely, we'll be using a lot of that money this year. We're hoping not to take it specifically out of the mill levy,” said Petroff. “We're also looking at grants and what's available, and working at the state level to take pressure off local taxpayers. That's a goal of mine, to look at those different funding opportunities.”

When the program began, it also sought to divert patients in crisis from the emergency room or county jail. At the time, those outcomes were often the only option available to emergency responders.

According to program data, roughly 61% of patients remain in the community. It's estimated that jail and ER diversions saved around $747,000 last year. But Petroff said the program is working to collect better data.

“Diversion is something we're trying to figure out right now,” said Petroff. “A lot of people don't know what it looked like four years ago when we responded with a fire engine and didn't have anything except for the ER or law enforcement to take someone to jail to keep that person safe for the night. Diversion looks so much different now.”

The Legislature this year also freed up more money for mental health, but that's still taking shape and where the funding will land remains unknown, according to Partnership Health Center, which serves as a key partner in the program.

“Mental health hits home to all of us. We all might know someone who's affected by it,” said Petroff. “We're going to respond to everyone and we're going to respond without an agenda, and we'll respond with empathy and try to figure out what they need to get better.”