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Co-Responders
Westminster Police Department’s (WPD) Mental Health Co-Responder Unit (CRU) pairs a mental health specialist with a police officer to respond to behavioral health related calls for service. The City of Westminster’s Co-Responder Unit was brought under the city’s leadership in December 2022 after originally being contracted with Community Reach Center from July 2020 – December 2022. The Co-Responder Unit utilizes the combined expertise of the officer and the behavioral health specialist to de-escalate situations and help link people with behavioral health issues to appropriate services.
Mental health and case management professionals who respond with police officers, fire department personnel, or other city employees to crisis related events in the city.
Co-Responders help with de-escalation of community members, help stabilize those in crisis, assess needs and risk, and connect community members with the appropriate services.
The WPD Co-Response Unit consists of one supervisor, five mental health clinicians and one case manager. Each member has backgrounds in social work, inpatient psychiatric care, clinical case management in long-term care, emergency room/hospital psychiatric assessment, trauma, family therapy, residential and substance abuse.
Co-Responders are usually available 7 days a week anywhere from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. most days of the week.
- Prevention of unnecessary incarceration and/or hospitalization of mentally ill individuals
- Provide alternate care in the least restrictive environment through a coordinated systemwide approach
- Prevent duplication of mental health services and facilitate the return of law enforcement units to patrol activities
- Members of the Co-Responder program also help triage calls from dispatch to help determine if an in-person response is necessary/required. This allows officers to remain in service in order to handle other priority calls for service.
If you are in crisis, please call 911 if the event is life-threatening and request to have a Co-Responder dispatched to your call.
- If you would like to speak to a Co-Responder and are not in an immediate crisis, please call 303-706-3100 or the non-emergent line for Westminster Dispatch at 303-658-4360, Opt. 1.
- Each Co-Responder has different hours and days of the week they cover. If a Co-Responder comes to your location, they have cards that can be provided for direct contact.
- If you need community resources for you or someone you know, you can also call 303-706-3100 and request to speak with our Case Management Coordinator or call into dispatch if a Co-Responder is not available
Questions? Email Co-Responder Supervisor Emily Gittleman or call 303-658-4270.