Tulsa expands Alternative Response Team 2 to help people in crisis

The Tulsa Fire Department and Family and Children Services are expanding a program downtown that pairs paramedics with mental health professionals to respond to certain 911 calls.

Q: What is The Alternative Response Team 2?

A: The Alternative Response Team 2, also known as ART-2, is a partnership between the Tulsa Fire Department and Family & Children’s Services. It pairs a paramedic with a licensed mental health clinician to respond to certain 911 calls inside the Inner Dispersal Loop, IDL, which surrounds downtown Tulsa.

Q: When did the program start, and how has it expanded?

A:

2023: The program launched as a pilot program.

2024: Tulsa City Council approved funding to expand the program using money from the opioid settlement.

2025: ART-2 began operating seven days a week, formally launching its expanded services.

Q: How does it work when a call comes in?

A: When a 911 call involves someone in crisis, such as mental health struggles, substance use, or homelessness, ART-2 is dispatched. The paramedic handles immediate medical needs, while the clinician works on de-escalation, stabilization, and connecting the person to long-term resources.

"Approaching individuals that are in a crisis situation and then making sure that you arrive with the right set of tools at the right time is extremely important,” Amanda Bradley, Vice President of the Crisis Services at Family and Children Services, said. “So, it was important for us to understand that the medical safety component was primary and then once those pieces are taken care of, we are able to step in and work on the de-escalation and stabilization in any crisis situation as well as linkage, resource navigation."

Q: How many calls has the team already handled?

A: In its first week of expanded operations, ART-2 responded to 39 calls in downtown Tulsa.

Q: Why is this program important?

A: Bradley says each person in crisis has unique needs.

“It’s important for there to be a mental health professional partnered with paramedics because they offer a unique skill set,” Bradley said. “They are really there to help with de-escalation, stabilization, and then the connectivity to ongoing services.”

Those services can include mental health treatment, substance abuse programs, housing opportunities, or short-term stays at the Crisis Recovery Center.