Crisis response unit reports 508 crisis interventions, outlines consolidation of weekly services

Jessica Hulse, manager of Northglenn's Crisis Response Unit, told the City Council on March 23 that the unit provided three program lines of service from Jan. 1 through Feb. 28: 508 crisis‑intervention contacts, 369 homelessness interventions and 41 targeted‑violence prevention services.

Hulse said the unit focuses on connecting people to community partners, stabilization and therapeutic models, and on case conferencing with schools and courts. She described clients diverted from higher‑cost settings: 21 diverted emergency‑department visits (estimated cost savings $21,315), one diverted jail incident ($1,799) and seven people housed in Jan–Feb with an estimated public‑funding savings of $190,351. Hulse cited external research to support the savings calculations, including the Police Practice and Research Journal and a Colorado Coalition for the Homeless analysis for housing‑cost savings.

Hulse described two operational changes coming in 2026: consolidating weekly walk‑in resource hours into a monthly resource fair (anticipated in July) to bring multiple partners together—harm reduction, MAT, DMV ID services, food service partners and court warrant‑clearing sessions—so residents can access multiple services in one visit. She said the consolidation follows moving the resource room to the justice center and is intended to increase access and coordination.

On prevention and threat assessment, Hulse said the unit leads the North Metro Threat Assessment Group and has run regional trainings, including a U.S. Secret Service workshop for local leaders and mandatory training for patrol officers. She said the unit helps track court cases and coordinate extreme risk protection orders when appropriate.

Hulse reviewed funding and staffing: the unit's 2026 operating budget is $571,000 (about $506,000 personnel; $64,800 services and supplies). Current grant funding includes an Adams County Public Health grant of $418,630 (through Dec. 31, 2026, with an anticipated $100,000–$120,000 to reallocate or return) and an opioid‑settlement grant that supports direct services. The unit receives a regional transportation award described as $715 in bus-pass value. Hulse said some staff positions are grant funded and one position will be lost at the end of 2026 unless replaced.

Council members asked for breakdowns linked to the state's mental‑health transition facility. Council member Kondo asked how many crisis calls and hours related to the transitional living facility could be isolated; Hulse said those responses are part of the crisis‑intervention totals and estimated that a substantial fraction of calls related to the facility but that she would need to pull precise month‑by‑month numbers. Council members also asked about partnerships with the North Metro homeless navigation center, Community Reach Center and West Pines Behavioral Health; Hulse described referral pathways, medical‑clearance constraints for some hospitals and the limits of each partner's intake processes.

Hulse framed several client case studies to illustrate the unit's work, including a chronically suicidal client redirected to intensive outpatient therapy and a long‑term engagement that included 82 recorded contacts and eventual housing through a navigation center that permits pets.

Hulse said the city will continue applying for federal and state grants (she is preparing a Department of Justice grant submission) and exploring staffing models, including internships, to maintain services. She asked council to note that some savings calculations are approximate and tied to external studies.

The council thanked Hulse and her team for the program's outcomes and directed staff to return with any data that isolates workload connected to the state transitional living facility if such breakdowns can be produced.