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Police describe co-responder crisis-intervention program as mental-health calls climb
Summary
Lee's Summit presenters described a Crisis Intervention Team and co-responder program that pairs specially trained officers with licensed mental-health professionals; officials said mental-health-related calls rose from 722 in 2020 to 1,479 in 2022.
A presenter described Lee's Summit's Crisis Intervention Team and the addition of co-responders — licensed mental-health professionals who accompany officers to crisis calls — as an effort to improve on-scene assistance and divert people from emergency rooms and jails.
"We did initiate the Crisis Intervention Team Program ... Recently, we've brought co responders onto the scene, licensed qualified mental health professionals housed within our police department, and they respond with those officers directly to those scenes," a speaker said.
A co-responder who identified herself as Allison described her role: "I'm a mental health professional. I'm here to help you. I'm not here to take you to jail or arrest you," she said, adding that co-responders focus on safety planning, connecting callers to services and following up after contact.
Officials cited rising demand: "In 2020, we had 722 mental-health-related calls for service. [By] 2022 ... 1,479," one presenter said, and added the city has increased the number of crisis-intervention officers and co-responders in response.
Program leaders said callers can request a co-responder by asking the 911 operator for that response. The stated goals are de-escalation, immediate connection to services and reducing reliance on emergency departments and jail as crisis responses.
No formal policy change was proposed during the presentation; the segment was framed as an informational briefing about the program and how residents can access it.
