Cleveland plans 911 dispatch option for mental health crises under revised Tanisha’s Law proposal

A decade-old case shaping a new emergency-response model

Cleveland officials are moving toward adding licensed mental health clinicians to the city’s 911 response system through legislation known as Tanisha’s Law, a proposal tied to the 2014 death of Tanisha Anderson during a police response to a mental health crisis.

Anderson, 37, died after being physically restrained by responding officers. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide, citing sudden death associated with restraint in a prone position, with underlying health conditions also noted. Cleveland later reached a $2.25 million settlement with Anderson’s family.

What the legislation would change inside Cleveland’s 911 system

The revised version of Tanisha’s Law now advancing at City Hall would create a new Bureau of Community Crisis Response within Cleveland’s Division of Emergency Medical Service, rather than establishing a standalone, cabinet-level department as initially proposed.

Under the plan, 911 callers would be offered an additional dispatch pathway beyond police, fire and EMS for situations primarily involving behavioral health needs. The model envisions clinician-led responses paired with EMS personnel for certain calls, using plain vehicles rather than ambulances and without routine police involvement. The approach is structured to allow responders to request police support when safety concerns arise.

The goal is to build a health-centered dispatch option for nonviolent behavioral health emergencies while maintaining the ability to escalate to police when needed.

How this differs from current practice in Cleveland

Cleveland currently relies on a mix of police-led crisis intervention and co-response. All officers receive crisis-intervention training, and the city operates co-responder teams that pair a trained officer with a behavioral health clinician. Those teams have been used heavily for follow-ups, while also retaining the ability to respond to live calls.

The pending ordinance is designed to more formally integrate non-police crisis response into 911 dispatch itself—an operational shift that supporters argue is necessary to ensure consistent access to clinician-based response when appropriate.

Cost, oversight and next steps

When the ordinance was previously discussed publicly, estimates placed start-up costs near $800,000, with annual costs projected in the low millions once fully operational. City leaders have indicated the revised structure is intended to reduce the ongoing budget impact by placing the program within an existing division.

The measure is moving through council’s committee process, with review in the Finance Committee expected before a vote by the full Cleveland City Council. Even if enacted, implementation would depend on administrative action, including hiring leadership and building operational capacity for dispatch protocols, staffing and field response.

• Creates a Bureau of Community Crisis Response within EMS
• Adds a fourth 911 dispatch option for behavioral health-related emergencies
• Uses clinician-led teams with EMS support and the ability to request police backup
• Builds on, but differs from, existing police clinician co-responder efforts

Cleveland’s deliberations unfold against the backdrop of ongoing federal oversight of police reform, which includes crisis-intervention requirements, placing additional attention on how the city responds to behavioral health emergencies.