NRVCS co‑response team pairs clinician with officers to handle higher‑risk mental‑health calls

Summary

New River Valley Community Services told the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Commission its co‑response program — pairing clinicians with police officers — has handled more than 240 calls in six months, reduced emergency custody orders and saved hundreds of staff hours while operating under the Marcus Alert framework.

New River Valley Community Services (NRVCS) presented its co‑response program to the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Commission at the commission’s January meeting, describing a model that pairs a clinician with a police officer to respond to moderate and high‑risk mental‑health calls.

NRVCS co‑response coordinator and law enforcement liaison Joey Thacker told the commission the program began July 1 and that the county’s co‑response teams have answered “over 240 calls” in roughly six months. "We have a 10.5% ECO rate," Thacker said, referring to emergency custody orders; he said the program has reduced the proportion of mental‑health calls that result in ECOs and has saved “high 200s, low 300 hours” of responder manpower.

Thacker said the co‑response model implements parts of the Virginia Marcus Alert framework created by state code sections 37.2 and 9.1. Under the local triage system he described, dispatch categorizes calls as…

NRVCS co‑response team pairs clinician with officers to handle higher‑risk mental‑health calls

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading