The Mental health Awareness Response and Community Understanding Services (Marcus) Alert system was developed in response to the death of biology teacher Marcus-David Peters, who was fatally shot by law enforcement while in crisis. Peters’ family and members of the community worked with members of the General Assembly to craft legislation with the intent of diverting people in a mental health crisis from law enforcement involvement. Racial equity was also a priority in developing the legislation, as Marcus-David Peters was Black.

Members of the Behavioral Health Commission (BHC) directed staff to study the implementation and effectiveness of the Marcus Alert system during their December 2024 meeting. To complete this study, BHC staff conducted interviews with state agency personnel responsible for coordinating Marcus Alert; visited Community Services Boards (CSBs) across Virginia and interviewed CSB staff, law enforcement officers, and public safety telecommunicators; reviewed the research literature and reports on 988 and co-response; surveyed CSBs and people with lived experience; and analyzed administrative data from state agencies (Appendix A).