Burien reviews two‑year co‑responder program; officials cite treatment referrals and faster emergency response

Colleen Brandt Schluter, outgoing human services manager for the city of Burien, presented a two‑year update on the city’s co‑responder program during the Jan. 13 special meeting of the Burien City Council.

The program pairs a mental‑health professional (MHP) with a designated police or fire partner to respond to low‑acuity calls, provide on‑scene assessment and make linkages to services. Presenters said the teams operate roughly six days a week, have made hundreds of referrals and helped multiple people enter residential treatment since May.

The update matters because council and staff described the program as a local alternative to emergency responses that often end in hospital visits or repeat 911 calls. City and agency speakers said co‑responders free up patrol and fire units for higher‑acuity work while providing time‑intensive supports for people in crisis.

Colleen Brandt Schluter, the city’s outgoing human services manager, said the program began as a locally tailored model in 2021 and expanded with partners’ support. “EMS levy dollars covered the firefighter,” she said, and the city used ARPA funding to hire mental‑health providers; King County and King County Fire District 2 later replicated or contributed funding for additional teams. She told the council the city’s current annual cost for each MHP role is about $125,000 per year.

Jordan Sorrell, a Burien Police Department co‑responder, described the program’s value in building rapport. “We’ve spent five, six hours in a day with some people, and we’re able to just sit and figure out what they actually need,” Sorrell said, adding that the team has successfully arranged detox and treatment placements that earlier patrol shifts could not secure on short notice.

Daisy Espinosa, another Burien PD co‑responder, said the teams’ language access and outreach have increased trust in parts of the Latino community and helped de‑escalate situations that otherwise might have led to force or hospital transfer.

Detective Eric Turner, also a co‑responder, said the teams have re‑engaged with the Highline School District to respond to student and family crises. “When the principal gives us a call we were able to respond just like that,” Turner said, noting the program’s school‑based contacts.

Lindsey Mueller, an MHP on the EMS side, described the variety of calls the teams handle, including CPR and death‑notification scenes where mental‑health support for family members is needed. Firefighter EMT Tony Rosenthal said the arrangement lets emergency apparatus return to service sooner: the city’s analysis shows crews went back in service about 38 hours faster this year because co‑responders took on lower‑acuity calls and extended on‑scene care.

Presenters also described operational details: teams are paired for 40 hours with the same partner to build integration, the city contracts clinical supervision through a provider called Sound, and the program currently provides six‑day coverage with efforts underway to fund a seventh day. Colleen Brandt Schluter told the council that each MHP costs about $125,000 annually and that around $125,000 is a planning figure to consider when budgeting for future expansion.

Christine Moreland, director of The More We Love (a local nonprofit that works with survivors and individuals experiencing homelessness), spoke during the proclamation segment and in Q&A about collaboration with co‑responders; she told council that her organization had helped more than 42 individuals find pathways out of trafficking and that the co‑responder teams assisted with placements into shelter and housing.

Council members praised the model and urged staff to secure sustainable funding. Several council members asked for additional outcome data and recommended continued coordination with regional partners; staff said they will return with more detailed funding proposals and a work plan for expanding coverage.

For now, the city will continue to operate the co‑responder teams in partnership with King County agencies, King County Fire District 2 and contracted MHP providers while seeking grants and legislative funding to expand coverage and sustain positions.

Looking ahead, councilmembers said they will consider budget and legislative options to preserve the teams, and staff said they will provide a more detailed cost and outcomes memo for future budget discussions.