Table of Contents:

  • Co-Responder Briefs

  • Worcester Seeks Clarity on Police Response to Mental Health Crises Amid Ongoing Concerns, Lawsuit

  • Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness Celebrates New Haley Street Location

  • Social Briefs

Read time: 4 minutes

👮 Co-Responder Briefs

Buckingham Township Police Department has brought on its first co-responder, Corrine Beck, who will work alongside officers across three departments to connect individuals in mental health or substance use crises with appropriate care rather than funneling them into the criminal justice system.

A bipartisan Colorado Senate bill, SB 26-149, seeks to reform the state's competency laws by creating new civil pathways for individuals deemed permanently incompetent and extremely dangerous, complementing Chaffee County's existing co-response program that pairs deputies with behavioral health clinicians on relevant emergency calls.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust has launched a six-month pilot in Norfolk with St John Ambulance, deploying trained volunteer co-responders in blue light vehicles to reach emergency 999 calls ahead of ambulance crews and provide early life-saving care.

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Worcester city councilors are pushing for a detailed report on how the city currently handles mental health-related 911 calls, following the phaseout of a co-response pilot that paired police officers with clinicians and the departure of Community Healthlink from any co-response role. The inquiry is further pressured by a federal lawsuit filed in March alleging the city improperly defaults to police for mental health emergencies rather than deploying trained clinicians, potentially violating federal disability laws.

Several councilors stressed the need for concrete outcome data — including whether the previous approach reduced arrests, hospitalizations, or repeat calls — which they say has not been adequately provided. City Manager Eric Batista confirmed that some clinician involvement continues at roughly 80 hours per week alongside police, but said a fuller explanation is forthcoming, with a comprehensive report expected to return to council in the coming weeks.

Santa Barbara County's Department of Behavioral Wellness (BWell) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of its new South County Child and Family Services Center at 315 West Haley Street, with roughly 60 city, county, and state officials in attendance. The centrally located facility, funded by the California Department of Health Care Services, houses therapists, psychologists, and clinical case workers serving children and families dealing with behavioral issues and severe mental illness, as well as those exiting the jail system or facing homelessness. The opening comes as BWell's co-response program — which pairs licensed mental health practitioners with law enforcement — faces potential funding cuts, with the department looking to the Board of Supervisors to cover its deficit.

Social Briefs:

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