The past decade has witnessed a movement to bolster local response to behavioral health crises, such as law enforcement crisis intervention teams or specialized units, co-responder programs, mobile crisis teams, and 911 dispatch.
CJI found that statutory intervention has a direct and profound impact on the success of law enforcement and first responder crisis response programs. States seeking to expand crisis response programs can use legislative intervention to invest in factors that facilitate their effective implementation.
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This comprehensive report, developed with support from Arnold Ventures, identifies opportunities for state-level intervention through three distinct areas: funding, cross-agency collaboration, and capacity building. The report highlights key factors within these three areas and how they can be utilized to support law enforcement in overcoming challenges around behavioral health crisis response.
First responders, behavioral health providers, city leaders, and policymakers should use this report as a guide to address barriers to the adoption and sustainability of crisis response programs.