Learning communities

It is core to the mission of Dignity Best Practices that the lessons we learn from our work in the field should be accessible and shared freely, so that best practices can surface and be within reach of all. With our Learning Communities, we create a space where that collaboration happens in real time.

Our Learning Communities gather practitioners, program leaders, and experts in one room to share insights, challenges, and efforts from around the country. These virtual meetings are organized and facilitated by Dignity Best Practices staff who guide the conversation, provide insight from research and collaborations, and maintain connections between participants.

Each Learning Community has about 20 participants and meets once a month. Learning Communities are program-specific and have a limited number of spaces open to allow for deep meaningful engagement. It is completely free to join and participate. Explore the current and future Learning Communities on the page below. To inquire about openings, or recommend a new community, contact us at daniel.kornfield@dignitybestpractices.org.

Current learning communities

911 and Behavioral Health Services integration

This is a Learning Community for behavioral health service providers (hotlines, mobile crisis teams, crisis centers, care coordination/ follow-up teams) and 911 call-taking managers who connect calls to those providers instead of or along with traditional responders.

Join us to learn about approaches to common challenges such as how to increase call transfer volume, improve protocols, collaborate with or without CAD integration, document and share information, clarify ethical and legal gray areas, and other topics of interest.

Co-response Teams

This is an upcoming Learning Community for civilian first responder teams (such as clinicians and peer support specialists) who respond alongside traditional responders such as police, fire, and EMS. Also welcome on this call are the traditional responders themselves, especially if they are hosting the co-response program.

Contact us to express interest in approaches to common challenges such as how and whether to ride in the same vehicle, whether to have fixed or rotating partnerships, using the radio, whether to self-dispatch, how to address complaints, how to build high retention teams, and other practical considerations.

Share your story

As a learning organization, we are always looking for new insights and experiences from programs across the country. We value hearing from a variety of programs and perspectives. If you have lessons learned or innovative approaches, we would love to hear from you.

With dignity as our core value, we want to encourage individuals who have encountered a crisis response or alternative response program to share their learning. If you have recommendations to improve the lessons or advice we share with others, we welcome your input.

To share your insights or get involved in a learning community, contact us at contact@dignitybestpractices.org.