Troopers refer Fairbanks woman to Mobile Crisis Team after housemate's suicide

A Fairbanks man died by suicide over the weekend. Troopers found nothing suspicious or criminal and referred the woman who shared his home to the Mobile Crisis Team for resources.

Alaska State Troopers responded to the residence at about 11:46 a.m. Sunday on a reported medical assist, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety daily dispatch. Nothing suspicious or criminal is suspected at this time, the dispatch said. Neither resident was named. D Detachment handled the case under incident number AK26075119.

How the referral works

The referral runs through a system Fairbanks has built over the past several years. The Mobile Crisis Team is dispatched by the Fairbanks 911 dispatch center and can be requested by community members, law enforcement, emergency rooms or other providers. Alaska Behavioral Health, which operates the team, said on its crisis services page that the service is meant to "reduce the need for emergency room visits and law enforcement involvement in behavioral health crises." It is one piece of the Crisis Now model here, alongside a local call center and the Refine Stabilization Center at 215 S. Cushman St.

Behavioral health advocates, including NAMI Fairbanks, argue that mobile crisis teams should be the primary response to suicidal crises, with law enforcement involved only when there are clear safety risks. They contend that trained mental health professionals are better equipped to de-escalate those crises, connect survivors and families with ongoing care, and avoid unnecessary criminalization or use of force.

Resources for those in crisis

NAMI Fairbanks advises residents facing suicide, violence or self-harm to call 911 and say the situation involves mental illness. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline takes calls, texts and chats statewide, around the clock.