The co-responder method has been in existence for a relatively short time, with its origins dating back to the 1990s. Even within this span, we’ve learned a great deal about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to co-responder programs. Co-Responder Models for Mental Health Calls respond to behavioral health crises with the intention to de-escalate. Many times, knowing what doesn’t work can be just as important as knowing what does when it comes to building effective co-responder programs.
Successful Co-Responder Programs begin by viewing community members as individuals to help, not simply problems to solve. These teams work to de-escalate high-strung situations before moving forward, involve trained professionals in mental health crises, and ensure that those who need it receive it in a non-judgmental way.
Best Practices in Co-Responder Teams for Mental Health Calls
While not everything that works in one area will work in another, some guiding principles appear to transcend the divides. The best co-responder programs maintain a high level of respect for the people they are serving. Not only that, but they build teams that are founded on strong principles and regular communication.
As we move forward, you’ll see some of the techniques that both large and small cities use to implement an effective co-responder model for mental health calls.
How co-responder models work for mental health calls:
- Reducing Negative Interactions with Responders and Police
- Delivering a professional mental health professional
- Reducing Provider Unit Hours on Scene
- Police Officers and the Benefits of Dressing Down
- Responding to Behavioral Health Situations
- Reducing Arrests
Now for the details.
Co-Responder for Mental Health Calls: Reducing Negative Interactions with Responders and Police
One of the primary goals of any co-responder program should be to minimize negative interactions between police officers and members of the community. There are many reasons why relationships between civilians and law enforcement can be poor; however, regardless of the community, there is always room for improvement.
When co-responder teams and law enforcement shift their focus from “enforcing laws” to “protecting the community,” the drive behind the work suddenly changes. Ultimately, framing things positively and being hopeful about the possibilities will lead to a co-responder team that truly makes an impact.
Sadly, some areas establish their co-responder teams with only partial effort. Sure, they may have received a grant, or perhaps they think they need to keep up with the department up the road. When possible, this attitude should be avoided.
As cliche as it may sound, if those involved in the co-responder program don’t have their heart in it, then it won’t be successful.
Key point: When forming a co-responder team, look for individuals who are genuinely passionate about the work.
Delivering a Mental Health Professional to the Scene: Co-Responder Models for Mental Health Calls
The next thing that can make a big difference in your co-responder team is including a trained mental health professional. When you have a mental health professional on scene, you have someone who can completely reframe the experience.
Police officers, even those who may have received some mental health training, can sometimes have trouble switching out of law enforcement mode. With a mental health professional, you also have someone who can assist in a person’s long-term health trajectory. They know who to contact for follow-up, as well as the right specialists to refer.
Finally, including a mental health professional ensures that the team maintains its focus on psychological care, which, at the end of the day, plays a role in almost every crisis situation, whether a crime has been committed or not. In some cases, officers may find that they learn a lot from a mental health professional that applies to their police work.
Co-Responder for Mental Health Calls: Reducing Provider Unit Hours On-Scene
One of the benefits of the co-responder model is that this team can go to a scene in place of the typical police response. This is huge. Many law enforcement departments are overrun with calls related to mental and behavioral health. While police officers may need to play a role in some of these scenes, many co-responder teams have found that a primary police response is often not the best practice when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis.
The benefits swing in both directions. The person having a mental health crisis can know that they will meet a team that is specifically built to help them. On the other hand, the police department can stop being overwhelmed with these types of calls and remain available to respond to other emergencies.
Co-responder teams often include a police officer; however, not to the extent you might expect. Let’s talk about how the police officer’s role changes when they suit up for the co-responder team.
Police Officers Dressing More Casual When Working with Co-Responder Teams
The uniform plays a significant role in how police officers and other first responders are perceived. Some fire departments and EMS agencies have a dress code that is explicitly designed to distinguish them from police officers. Why is this? Because, for better or worse, police officers can often be viewed as a threat.
Here’s something probably everyone can relate to. Have you ever had a police vehicle suddenly pull out into the road behind you? Most people feel a little twinge in their gut and think, I hope they aren’t going to pull me over for something.
Now, would you feel that same twinge if the police officer were in an unmarked, non-police vehicle? Probably not. So, appearances and presentation do matter, and this is no less true of co-responder teams.
For this reason, many police officers will “dress down: when working as part of a co-response team. This means that they will wear clothing that does not immediately identify them as a police officer. They may also choose to hide weapons or to leave them behind. Much of this will depend on the situation, area, and task.
Note: All members of a co-responder team should be aware of their attire. It’s best practice to avoid anything that looks too tactical or formal. The goal of these teams is de-escalation. To the extent possible, teams should dress in a manner that puts people at ease.
Co-Responder for Mental Health Calls: Responding to Behavioral Health Situations (Police Staging)
There may be situations when it’s difficult to determine whether a behavioral emergency requires a complete police response or just the co-responder team. In most cases, if there is no immediate danger, just the co-responder team should venture into the scene. If there is a clear danger (e.g., weapons on the scene), then a full police response is most likely needed.
However, in those gray areas, when there may be a threat, what do you do? In most cases, it is best to play it safe and bring PD to the scene. With that said, if there is a concern about making a bad situation worse due to a significant police response, consider having the police stage out of sight, but nearby, so that they can jump to the scene in a moment if something should go awry.
This is a judgment call that must be made on a case-by-case basis. The overall goal is to avoid “spooking” people by swarming a scene with dozens of police cruisers. We want to de-escalate, not waste time explaining why there are half a dozen cars with flashing lights in their driveway.
Co-Responder for Mental Health Calls: Reducing Arrests
A significant element of the co-responder team is reducing the number of arrests. Once again, officers must reframe their viewpoint in these situations. When someone is experiencing a behavioral emergency, instead of asking, “Is there anything we can charge this person with?” we should focus on asking, “How can we reduce the temperature here so that a crime isn’t committed?”
Of course, there are some cases when someone may need to be taken into police custody, but this should be seen as the exception, not the rule, when it comes to co-response teams.
Please note that this extends beyond the co-responder team. Reducing arrests and keeping Co-Response teams people-focused impacts the reputation of these programs across the country. Unfortunately, in any police work, what a department does in Miami can affect how the population views what a department does in Chicago. It’s just the way the modern world works.
Key Takeaway: The Top Co-responders Techniques for Mental Health Calls
Co-responder programs have the opportunity to grow and reshape how we view police work and mental health crisis response. Some of the top programs in the country follow a similar roadmap to ensure they have successful outcomes.
The best co-responder models involve teams that are focused on genuinely helping people, reducing the need for active police responses, collecting valuable data, and guiding individuals away from jail.
Finally, these co-responder teams need to stay connected and gather strong information. If you’re looking for a platform to do just that,consider Julota. A safe, integrated software tool that allows seamless data collection, organization, and sharing.