How Cities Are Rethinking Crisis Response—And Who Should Show Up

From Garden City to Montclair, communities are embedding behavioral health into public safety. Here’s how co-responder programs are reshaping the front lines of crisis care.

April 23, 2025

How do you know you’re hiring the right people?

Expect this and other lingering questions you have about law enforcement and behavioral health to be answered in this issue.

Let’s dive in:

Today’s Brief:

  • Mental Health Care Briefs

  • Champaign Considers Adding Mental Health Co-Responders

  • Garden City Launches Full-Scale Co-Responder Program

  • Video Brief

Total Read Time: 4 Minutes

🧠 Mental Health Care Briefs:

A mix of quick behavioral health and crisis intervention stories:

Montclair has launched a new pilot pairing police with trained mental health professionals on behavioral health-related calls. The county-funded initiative aims to reduce unnecessary arrests and connect residents to proper care.

Maryland lawmakers have reinstated critical funding for youth behavioral health services, including crisis teams and school-based supports. Advocates say this is key to preventing long-term mental health issues among at-risk students.

The Huntington City Council is considering expanded support for its Crisis Intervention Team, including additional training and response tools. The move comes amid growing calls for better-equipped responses to mental health emergencies.

Champaign is taking steps toward a more compassionate public safety model. City leaders are reviewing a proposal to embed full-time mental health professionals alongside police officers. The co-responders would respond directly to behavioral health crises—offering immediate de-escalation, follow-up support, and alternatives to arrest.

Council members emphasized the need for better outcomes and fewer repeat calls. If approved, the program would be managed in partnership with local providers and evaluated over the next year to measure impact. As the city continues to explore nontraditional responses, this move could mark a major turning point for public health and safety in Champaign.

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Garden City is rolling out a comprehensive co-responder program through a partnership between the Garden City Police Department and Compass Behavioral Health. Mental health professionals now accompany officers on calls involving individuals in crisis—helping divert people from jail or hospitals and into appropriate care settings.

The team has already begun responding to calls, with plans to track outcomes and refine workflows in the coming months. Police Chief Michael Utz highlighted that the program "ensures a better response and better future for our community."

This launch is more than a procedural shift—it’s a commitment to prioritizing people, not punishment, during moments of vulnerability.

🎞️ Video Brief:

A follow up on one of our previous stories: see what’s new in Philadelphia

Thank you for reading!

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