The CO-responder program is a criminal justice diversion program that pairs law enforcement and behavioral health specialists to intervene and respond to behavioral health-related calls to police. -…

The CO-responder program is a criminal justice diversion program that pairs law enforcement and behavioral health specialists to intervene and respond to behavioral health-related calls to police. - this project will continue funding and enhance a mental health CO-responder program that has been established in partnership with the oakland community health network (ochn), city of auburn hills, city of birmingham, charter township of bloomfield, and city of rochester, serving a total population of 100,000 residents. Currently three communities (auburn hills, birmingham, bloomfield TWP.) contract a full-time mental health clinician from ochn to CO-respond with law enforcement to calls for service involving people in mental health crisis. This program was launched in august of 2021 with a $75,000 grant from a private organization. In the first six months, this program has served over 350 people in the community, providing professional mental health resources, reducing hospitalizations, and reducing repetitive calls for service. This grant award will allow for continued funding and enhancement of the program by expanding the program to a fourth community, the city of rochester, and to contract a second full-time clinician from ochn. Adding a second clinician will expand the on-duty hours that a mental health clinician is available to CO-respond with law enforcement to these calls for service. Funds will not only be utilized to support the two full-time clinicians for 12 months but will also be used to train 100% of law enforcement officers in the four communities in the 40-hour crisis intervention team (CIT) program. CIT instructors in each department and at ochn have recently been trained in the new CIT curriculum and are ready to begin the training program for staff. A total of 168 sworn police officers comprise the staff of the four police departments. All four communities and ochn are committed to this program and enhancing our service delivery to those in need in our communities.