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King County launches countywide Therapeutic Response Unit pairing mental‑health professionals with deputies
Summary
The Law and Justice Committee acknowledged the Sheriff’s Office report on the Therapeutic Response Unit (TRU), a co‑response program pairing mental‑health professionals with deputies. Presenters described the TRU deployment model, SOPs, interagency coordination and early field operations; the committee voted to acknowledge the report 4‑0.
The King County Law and Justice Committee on Jan. 22 acknowledged a report from the King County Sheriff’s Office describing the planning and initial deployment of the Therapeutic Response Unit (TRU), a countywide co‑response program that pairs behavioral‑health professionals with deputies on selected calls.
Committee members voted to acknowledge the transmitted report (Proposed Motion 24‑0284); the motion passed by roll call, 4‑0, and the committee will place the acknowledgment on the Feb. 4 full‑council consent agenda.
How TRU works: According to the Sheriff’s Office report and the program’s standard operating procedures, TRU uses a co‑response model in which mental health professionals (MHPs) and deputies respond concurrently to calls that have behavioral‑health, substance‑use or social‑service components. Deputies retain responsibility for public safety and determining any criminality; MHPs support de‑escalation, service referrals and non‑criminal responses when appropriate. The Sheriff’s Office said TRU will operate across the sheriff’s service area to fill gaps where other local co‑response programs are not available.
Program details and early operations: Nick Bowman of Council Central Staff summarized the program’s community engagement, SOPs, referral pathways and timelines. Sheriff’s Office leaders said the program manager was hired in September 2023, the third MHP joined the team the day before the meeting, and 13 additional interviews were scheduled. TRU began initial field deployments in December, and the office planned an initial year assessment running June–September of the year.
Funding and partnerships: Presenters said TRU is funded in part by a federal COPS grant, two congressional recommended awards (attributed to Congresswoman Schrier in the report) and other local Mental‑Health Integration (MID) funds. The Sheriff’s Office highlighted routine check‑ins with jurisdictions, shared use of the county records management system (Mark43), and co‑location of MHPs in the communications center to support call takers.
Quote: Susie Kroll, co‑response program chair, described the unit’s purpose: “This program, during somebody’s worst moments, the hardest day of their lives … will help provide the support while law enforcement is able to manage the public safety aspects of the situation. We can connect people with services.”
Deployment priorities and staffing: The TRU standard operating procedures emphasize prioritizing interventions where a response can prevent escalation; referrals can be made by deputy supervisors, dispatchers or other deputies via Mark43, email or verbal request. The office said it seeks to expand hours toward a seven‑day schedule covering peak hours (proposed target 7 a.m.–1 a.m.) and to broaden service to transit, unincorporated areas and partner cities.
Committee action: Council Member DeBosco moved the motion acknowledging receipt of the TRU report; the clerk recorded a unanimous committee vote (4 ayes, 0 nos). The motion will be placed on the Feb. 4 council consent agenda.
Next steps: The Sheriff’s Office plans continued hiring, community outreach, interagency coordination and a year‑one program evaluation. Committee members praised the program’s early field results and encouraged continued cross‑jurisdictional cooperation to multiply impact across King County.
