This week, law enforcement and health systems are expanding their behavioral health response capacity, from Texas sheriffs pressing lawmakers for more crisis funding and Northern Illinois departments like Dixon adding crisis training as calls climb, to Parma, Ohio launching a MetroHealth co-responder program valued at up to $207,130, CentralReach highlighting how payer data can flag pediatric behavioral health gaps earlier, and St John Ambulance's electric BYD Sealion 7 helping its Norfolk co-responder pilot beat NHS ambulances to the scene by an average of 28 minutes.

At a July 7 Texas Senate hearing, sheriffs' and criminal justice officials told lawmakers that officers have become the de facto front line for mental health crises, especially in the 246 of 254 counties with mental health professional shortages, and urged expanded funding for pre-arrest diversion, telehealth, co-responder programs, and psychiatric hospital capacity ahead of the 2027 legislative session.

Departments in Dixon, Joliet, and Ottawa report mental health-related calls rising sharply (Dixon's calls grew from 98 in 2022 to 168 in 2025, including 62 suicides), pushing agencies to expand crisis intervention training, partner with behavioral health providers, and add licensed social workers to their ranks.

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Let’s image a 34 year old army veteran named Marcus.

Marcus calls 911 on the weekend at 2 a.m., agitated and disoriented. The officers who respond don't know he has PTSD. They don't know he's been seeing a VA behavioral health counsellor for six months. They don't even know he stopped taking his medication three days ago.

That information lives in a system they can't access. So Marcus ends up in handcuffs. Then a cell. Then a courtroom.

And his counsellors only find out on Monday morning...

This is what happens when the people trying to help can't talk to each other.

With Julota, Marcus's care team can see what they need to see, when they need to see it. The next time he calls at 2 a.m., the responding officer knows. The co-responder knows. And instead of a cell, Marcus gets a callback from his counsellor by morning.

Same person. Same call. Completely different outcome.

That's one of the abilities Julota gives your program.

Parma City Council unanimously approved a regional partnership with Parma Heights and MetroHealth on July 12, 2026, that will pair a licensed social worker with police and fire crews responding to mental health, substance use, homelessness, and other behavioral health emergencies. Officials said the move addresses a clear surge in demand, Parma police alone logged 1,205 welfare checks, 411 mental-health-related fire assists, and 233 pages of "mental health" case reports so far this year.

Beyond on-scene response, the social worker will provide follow-up case management, connecting residents to treatment, addiction recovery, and housing resources. The one-year deal is valued at up to $207,130, with a $100,000 annual Cuyahoga County grant covering much of the cost and Parma Heights reimbursing about 30% based on call volume. The program is expected to launch within weeks, and officials described it as a "historical paradigm shift" in how the two cities deliver public safety services.

In a HIMSS TV video interview, CentralReach's Yagnesh Vadgama discusses how claims, utilization, social determinant, and pharmacy data can surface care gaps and risks in pediatric behavioral health. He argues this data can help identify opportunities for earlier intervention before problems escalate.

St John Ambulance has received a fully electric BYD Sealion 7 on loan to support its co-responder pilot scheme in Norfolk, run jointly with the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST). Trained St John volunteers use the vehicle to reach 999 calls quickly and begin patient care before an NHS ambulance crew arrives. In its first two months, the scheme responded to 142 patients across 33 shifts, arriving first on scene over 93% of the time and beating NHS resources to the scene by an average of 28 minutes. Nearly one in five patients were treated and safely discharged without needing an ambulance at all. EEAST's head of co-response welcomed the new vehicle, noting Norfolk's large rural footprint makes fast co-responder support especially valuable.