As National Co-Responder Week approaches, the Grand Junction Police Department is excited to recognize the vital work of the Co-Responder team who serves on the front lines of public safety and mental health response. From September 15 - 21, 2024, National Co-Responder Week honors the collaboration between law enforcement and mental health professionals everywhere that is transforming the way communities respond to individuals in crisis.
The Grand Junction Police Department Co-Responder Unit, which was started in 2018, was developed to aid the mental health crisis and address behavioral challenges in the community. This team pairs a mental health clinician with a police officer who work together to respond to active calls that involve behavioral health crisis. This specialized unit has been successful at diverting officers from complex mental health calls back to the streets for in-progress calls for service, while providing important crisis response services to the community. This team works to treat individuals experiencing crisis in place when appropriate, which helps to reduce the utilization of high-cost services and avoids overwhelming hospitals and inpatient facilities. In 2023, the Grand Junction Police Department’s Co-Responder Unit responded to 1,036 behavioral health calls.
“In 2018, when we started the Co-Responder Unit, I’ll admit I was skeptical,” said Sergeant Stan Ancell. “This was something new to the world of law enforcement and I didn’t know how working with mental health professionals would work. Now, I can’t imagine working without them. This team of clinicians and officers has been instrumental in assisting those experiencing mental health crisis within our community.”
The Grand Junction Police Department also provides Crisis Intervention Training or CIT to every sworn officer in the agency. This specialized training ensures every officer is equipped with the skills and knowledge to effectively manage and deescalate situations involving individuals in mental health crisis. CIT also helps officers manage situations more safely, while ensuring a compassionate and effective approach to mental health crisis.
Addressing the mental health needs in the community remains a priority for the Grand Junction Police Department. If anyone is experiencing a mental or behavioral crisis, please call 911 and request to speak with a member of the Co-Responder team. Community members may also call the Nationwide Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.