Transforming Mental Health Response: Mesa County's Innovative Co-Responder Program

Launched earlier this summer to better support citizens' mental health needs, the Mesa County Co-responder Program pairs law enforcement and behavioral health specialists to intervene and respond to behavioral health-related calls for law enforcement. 

When a mental health need arises in Mesa County, an officer, and behavioral health specialist show up in the same vehicle and work together to de-escalate the situation, provide behavioral health screening and assessment, call disposition planning, and refer the citizen to any additional services needed.

Co-responder teams form a bridge between law enforcement and behavioral health to de-escalate situations and help link individuals experiencing mental health crises to appropriate services.