The Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Geauga County Board of Mental Health & Recovery Services, Ravenwood Health, the Geauga County Communications Center, and 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has announced that Geauga County has been selected as one of five Ohio communities to participate in the inaugural Clear Pathways 911/988 Interoperability Technical Assistance Project.
According to a news release, the project, led by Clear Pathways – an initiative of Peg’s Foundation, is designed to strengthen coordination between 911 Public Safety Answering Points and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
While interoperability includes the ability to transfer behavioral health calls between 911 and 988 when appropriate, the project is about much more than call transfers. It focuses on developing formal partnerships, operational protocols, training, and coordinated response systems that ensure individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis receive the right care at the right time from the right responder.
Christine Lakomiak, Executive Director of Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services, noted that the county has been working on 911/988 interoperability for about a year, independently of this project.
“Our interest in being selected for this project offers an opportunity to strengthen these collaborations and develop a model to share with other Ohio communities,” Lakomiak said. “Partnering with Peg’s Foundation emphasizes and formalizes our ongoing work and we were thrilled to be chosen to participate in Cohort 1, one of only five selected statewide.”
Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand said behavioral health crises require a coordinated response that balances public safety with compassionate clinical care.
“This project allows us to strengthen the relationships we’ve already built with our behavioral health partners and continue improving how we serve the residents of Geauga County,” Hildenbrand said. “Our goal is simple — connect people in crisis with the most appropriate care as safely and efficiently as possible.”
According to the release, over the next 12 months, Geauga County will work alongside Clear Pathways and the other participating Ohio communities to develop and enhance 911/988 interoperability by strengthening operational procedures, improving communication between agencies, expanding training opportunities, and evaluating best practices for behavioral health crisis response.
The project will focus on improving collaboration between dispatchers, law enforcement, behavioral health providers, and crisis response teams while increasing access to community-based services.
According to the National Emergency Number Association, approximately 240 million 911 contacts occur each year across the United States.
Strengthening coordination between 911 and 988 helps ensure behavioral health-related calls are directed to the most appropriate resources, improving outcomes while supporting both public safety and behavioral health systems.
Cal Jenkins, assistant director of Research and Systems Innovation at Clear Pathways, said that participating communities will help shape best practices for coordinated crisis response while advancing partnerships between 911 and 988 systems across Ohio.
