North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has issued a sweeping executive order designed to unify the state’s behavioral health and criminal justice responses. The directive focuses on expanding co-responder models, improving 911 and 988 integration, and addressing critical staffing shortages in state psychiatric hospitals and correctional facilities.

This analysis critiques Governor Stein’s recent executive order, arguing that it doubles down on law enforcement involvement rather than investing in community-led, non-carceral crisis programs. The author suggests that current state data and federal guidelines favor civilian-led responses over the police-clinician co-responder models being promoted.

The Hamilton Township Police Department has partnered with AtlantiCare to implement the ARRIVE Together initiative, which pairs law enforcement with mental health clinicians on select emergency calls. This collaborative approach aims to provide immediate clinical care at the scene, de-escalate crises, and divert residents away from unnecessary emergency room visits and arrests.

The Royal and the Ottawa Police Service are partnering to launch a new mobile crisis response team (MCRT) this spring to assist individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises. The unit will consist of a specially trained police officer paired with two mental health clinicians from The Royal’s upcoming urgent care clinic. This team will provide immediate, on-site specialized support and de-escalation for calls across the National Capital Region. Funded by the Solicitor General of Ontario through 2027, the program aims to bridge existing service gaps by connecting people directly to community resources. This initiative follows the successful October launch of a similar crisis team involving The Ottawa Hospital, further expanding Ottawa’s regional support network.

The Dallas Opioid Response Team (ORT), a collaboration between Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Recovery Resource Center, has significantly increased its reach to overdose survivors over the past year. In 2025, the team successfully made contact with 165 patients following 911 calls, a 50% increase from the previous year, while also providing critical education to 130 family members. By pairing EMS personnel with certified peer recovery specialists, the ORT conducts "cold introductions" at survivors' homes to offer Narcan training and long-term treatment referrals. Leaders attribute the program's growing success to operational adjustments, such as adding Saturday follow-up visits to accommodate patients' varying schedules. Despite the ongoing challenges of the fentanyl crisis, the team views every successful connection as a vital step toward breaking the cycle of addiction within the community.