Everything You Need to Know About Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis Training

Note: Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis (1^st Party Only) is only available in MPDS v14.0.219 and ProQA v5.1.1.50 or later. Follow this guide to get your software updated and Protocol 41 activated. (I’ll link to a post here that lays out all 9 steps.)

The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch have partnered with the 911 Training Center to create a structured system for dispatching severe mental and behavioral health calls. Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis (1^st Party Only) was built with input from experts in protocol logic, mental health professionals, suicidologists, and a team of professionals from related fields. It leverages a powerful four-hour training to prepare Emergency Dispatchers and calltakers for the difficult task of helping callers undergoing mental health crises. 

Mental Health Training for Emergency Dispatchers

Prior to activating Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis (1^st Party Only), all Emergency Dispatchers and calltakers must take the Caller in Crisis training offered by the IAED. To sign up for the training, go to courses.prioritydispatch.net and sign in to the course portal. Underneath “All Courses” you’ll find Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis. Clicking into this course will allow you to register.

The training costs $99 per user. It has four modules that take about one hour each and is self-paced. The Caller in Crisis training counts toward Continuing Dispatch Education for IAED recertification. 

What’s Included in the IAED’s Caller in Crisis Training?

Module 1: Caller in Crisis Essentials

It would be unfair to Emergency Dispatchers and calltakers to expect them to figure out how to talk to callers struggling with suicidal thoughts, self-injurious behavior, and other severe mental health crises on their own. Protocol 41’s first module takes the burden off them and leans on evidence and the knowledge of experts to help them better understand these kinds of callers and develop language and skills for connecting with and helping them.

Module 2: Using the Emotional Control Tool

Once a caller in a mental health crisis is on the line, it’s essential to stay connected with them until responders arrive. Once the proper response has been determined and dispatched, it can be difficult to know what to say. In Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis (1^st Party Only), Emergency Dispatchers and calltakers get access to an Emotional Control Tool within ProQA that helps them to connect with and de-escalate at-risk callers. 

Module two of the Caller in Crisis Training familiarizes Emergency Dispatchers and calltakers with the Emotional Control Tool and introduces them to the Mental States Menu contained within it. Using the Mental States Menu, Emergency Dispatchers are able to identify 22 different mental states a caller may be experiencing and, using language and concepts provided within the tool, connect with them and de-escalate them while a response is on its way.

Module 3: Using Protocol 41

The first time Emergency Dispatchers and calltakers use Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis shouldn’t be when a severe mental health call comes in. Module three of the Caller in Crisis Training lets them use the Protocol in a controlled environment, getting them used to the ins and outs of Protocol 41 so they’re ready to use it at the highest possible level when it matters most.

Module 4: Building Emotional Resilience

Severe mental and behavioral health calls can take a heavy toll on the calltakers and Emergency Dispatchers that field them. Module four of the Caller in Crisis Training leverages the advice of mental health professionals to help them develop strategies to maintain their own mental health and reduce burnout.

Extra Training for Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis

Agencies interested in signing up for the Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis (1^st Party Only) Training through the IAED should access courses.prioritydispatch.net to sign up. Once your staff is trained, we recommend the 911 Training Center’s three-day Emergency Mental Health Dispatch course for your leaders.