FAQ

Call or text 988 to get immediate help. You can also find other resources here.

Yes, we provide scheduled appointments, but your medical provider or case manager must make the request. They can do so on our Scheduled Transport page or call 888-401-1855. We do not accept appointments by patients. Our Scheduled Transport hours of operation are Mon-Fri, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. If you are experiencing a psychiatric emergency, please call 988, visit your local ER, or make an appointment with your doctor.

RIDECARE should respond within ninety (90) minutes. We make every effort to arrive within sixty (60) minutes of notification for transport. If the response time is in excess of one hundred and twenty (120) minutes, RIDECARE management must approve the extension.

In FY23, RIDECARE performed more than 15,000 transports.

Law enforcement is still required to provide transportation of individuals in need of initial assessment, emergency detention or protective custody from the initial point of contact to the nearest facility within a thirty (30) mile radius of their operational headquarters, unless the individual self-presents at a hospital or other treatment facility. See 43A O.S. §1-110 and §5-207. The implementation of 988 mobile crisis teams has enabled the possibility that a mobile crisis team will be dispatched to a crisis call instead of law enforcement, unless there is a safety concern. Mobile crisis teams have the ability to transport a person to the closest treatment facility for immediate care, and if long term care is deemed necessary, RIDECARE will provide the transport to the designated care facility. ODMHSAS, mobile crisis teams, and RIDECARE work together in close collaboration to ensure everyone receives the treatment they need.

Legislation defines the 30-mile parameter relative to law enforcement officer’s operational headquarters.

Transportation providers must be trained in the following: Obligations under 43A O.S. §1-110 and §5-207 16-Hour Mental Health Training on Communication Client rights Therapeutic Options, or similar curriculum as approved by ODMHSAS CPR/First Aid HIPAA and Confidentiality

The most common reason for a transportation request to not successfully submit is that the information provided did not indicate the individual was eligible for transport. For example, if you did not indicate that a treatment bed has been confirmed the transportation request will not submit. Additionally, you must indicate that the individual has met criteria for inpatient psychiatric care as defined by Oklahoma statute 43A. Lastly, the person must not require medical evaluation at an emergency room prior to transport. RIDECARE does not accept transport requests from individuals needing a ride. Transportation must be arranged by your caseworker.