Preventing Overdoses, Expanding Mental Health Access, and Integrating Behavioral and Physical Health Across the 988 Continuum: An AI-Driven Approach

Abstract

This increase in the need for behavioral health crisis response in the United States highlights the need for the integration of physical and mental health services. Autistic patients are especially vulnerable to negative outcomes including restraints, increased length of stay, and repeat visits to the emergency room. In this research we present a 988 Crisis & Emergency Department (ED) Triage Copilot that assists EMS and ED staff by providing AI-driven de-escalation prompts and guided handoffs. The system was modeled using retrospective baseline data against future post-implementation outcomes anchored in SAMHSA's 988 framework and Joint Commission patient safety goals. Results reflect a reduction of 41.7% in restraints, 37.5% reduction in extended LOS and a reduction of staff incident reports by 50%. By integrating these personal AI approaches, the copilot is effectively pushing behavioral and physical health care integration across the 988 continuum and offers a model that can be scaled to improve crisis outcome.