A Collaborative Approach to Mental Health Crisis Intervention: Denver's Co-Responder-Police Partnership and Strategies to Maintain a Necessary Program

Across the country, Co-Responder Programs are expanding—reaching new cities, adopting new approaches, and identifying new areas for growth. These programs have proven effective, contributing to reductions in use-of-force incidents and unnecessary arrests involving individuals experiencing acute mental or behavioral health crises. Denver is home to one of the largest Co-Responder Programs in the nation, supported by a successful nine-year partnership with the entire Denver Police Department. To understand the program’s success, it is important to explore its history, the development of a 27-person team involving multiple first responder partners, and the implementation of structured processes and protocols—including a dedicated Clinician Academy. This partnership has fostered a culture of support, well-being, and personal and professional growth between police officers and clinicians. This presentation aims to provide other cities and agencies with actionable insights—whether to enhance existing programs or to inspire the creation of new, effective partnerships.