Today's Brief
A deputy asked patrol to kill their lights, and a crisis call went differently
250 crisis calls after the co-responders went home, plus Cleveland and Putnam County scale up
$10 million a year for crisis screening in New Jersey, and jobs paying up to $105K
Tacoma's budget would cut its HOPE crisis team
Total read time: 4 minutes
Real Impact
Deputy Stephen Johnson pulled up to a crisis call in South Fulton and found several patrol cars parked with their emergency lights still flashing. He asked the sergeant to turn them off. For the person in crisis, the lights were a trigger, and Johnson says small adjustments like that are often where de-escalation starts.
Johnson works on Fulton County's Co-Responder (CoRe) unit, which pairs sheriff's deputies with county behavioral health clinicians. In its first four months the pilot answered more than 500 calls and connected over 100 people to treatment. The full story covers why the county built it around its overcrowded jail, and where the sheriff wants to take it next.
Who to Contact:
Fulton County CoRe Unit (Afrika Cotton, Program Manager, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities): 404-612-4000 (county main line)
Program Upgrades
Crisis Teams Are Growing. The Hours Haven't Caught Up.
Gwinnett's officer and clinician teams clock out at 11 p.m., and 99% of the people they met last year avoided arrest. Chief J.D. McClure is asking for $126,000 to keep them out until 2 a.m. Here's what commissioners have to decide by January.
Officers can drop someone off and be back on patrol in minutes instead of waiting at an ER. The catch: the center wants $12 million in opioid settlement money that county council hasn't approved.
Legislators approved the expansion unanimously, then shelved the rest of the county executive's mental health plan. The fight is over $2.1 million that started out as ARPA money.
Resources
Funding Watch
New Jersey DMHAS: Designated Screening Services in six counties. $10.08 million a year across six awards, from $667,640 in Hunterdon to $3.13 million in Mercer, for 24/7 crisis screening with mobile outreach. Intent to apply is due October 26 and proposals are due November 2.
New York OMH: Health-led Crisis Response Pilots, Round 2. Up to $2 million per award, four awards, at least one rural. Proposals are due November 19.
Just funded: Newark, NJ accepted $727,087 from SAMHSA for year four of its co-responder teams, including outreach to people who are homeless.
On the Calendar
IACP 2026, Orlando, October 24 to 27.
Pennsylvania Statewide CIT Conference, Hershey, October 26 to 27. Registration is full, and a waitlist is open.
Virginia CIT Conference, Roanoke, November 16 to 18. Register through your local CIT coordinator.
Now Hiring
Crisis Intervention Specialist, Marion County Sheriff's Office, Ocala, FL. $76,884. Closes October 22.
Co-Responder Mental Health Clinician, Commerce City Police, CO. $70,433 to $105,650. Closes October 23.
Community Crisis Responder II, Seattle Police Department. $53.14 to $61.96 an hour. Closes October 27.
Under Pressure
Facing a $40 million gap, Tacoma's city manager wants to cut the fire department's HOPE behavioral health team and the police department's unarmed community service officers. Council finalizes the budget around November 17, and the mayor's case for the cut is worth reading if your program is up for renewal this year.
