Borough co-responder team reports rising referrals, seeks to divert crises from police and ERs

Lorraine Schlagle and Jay Leader gave the council an update on the borough's co-responder program, which pairs crisis-trained responders with police to provide on-scene mental-health intervention, follow-up case management and connections to local services.

Schlagle said the program began in March 2024 and has seen substantial demand: "I participated in the mental health workshop..." she said, and reported the team had encountered roughly 514 brand-new referrals as of her remarks. Jay Leader described the variety of call types and trends, saying referrals were up about 54% year over year and citing a separate figure of 259 new referrals in a recent period; he characterized a large share of calls as housing- or unhoused-related and described work to divert individuals from emergency rooms and jail into community supports.

Presenters described intake, crisis de-escalation, short-term transportation and coordination with nonprofits and county partners. Jay Leader said the program's goals include reducing follow-up burdens on police and emergency departments and sustaining longer-term engagement: "We serve in many facets. We serve in immediate crisis. We serve in aftercare," he said.

The Police Chief publicly praised the co-responder staff: "These guys are rock stars," he said, and urged continued support and potential expansion. Council members asked operational questions about transportation and caseload; presenters said a borough‑provided vehicle supports outreach and that many referrals are being routed to nonprofit partners and county services.

Officials said the program is part of broader community coordination and that they will continue to track outcomes and partnerships as referrals rise.