Co-Responder Models in Mental Health Policing

Research in Brief

Police Chief Magazine|Columns|Research in Brief|Research in Brief: U.S. Co-Responder Snapshot

Research in Brief: U.S. Co-Responder Snapshot

Findings from a National Survey of Police Agencies on the Status of Co-Responder Programs

Clair V. Uding, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Wyoming; Haley R. Moon, PhD, Project Director, University of Wyoming; and Cynthia Lum, PhD, Distinguished University Professor, George Mason University, Virginia

Co-responder models for responding to people in mental distress have become increasingly used in policing in the United States over the last decade. These approaches involve police officers partnering with qualified mental health professionals (QMHPs) to respond to mental/behavioral health calls for service. Such models are believed to enhance de-escalation; they provide on-scene counseling to individuals in crisis, connect individuals to treatment services over arrest, and reduce the use of force and injuries to individuals in crisis.

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