CHAMBERSBURG – Franklin County Commissioners have proclaimed the week of Sept. 14 to be National Co-Responder and Crisis Responder Week in Franklin County. In doing so, the commissioners are asking residents to recognize the efforts these professionals undertake to divert individuals in mental health crisis away from the criminal justice system and toward community-based supportive services.
Mental health challenges may lead to a variety of unfavorable outcomes, including homelessness, frequent law enforcement interaction, incarceration and emergency room visits. Each of those scenarios is more intrusive and more costly for communities and detrimental for individuals compared to early interventions through local behavior health services.
Seeing the impact and corresponding need for additional behavioral health resources, Franklin County established a Mental Health Co-Responder Program to embed mental health professionals with law enforcement agencies to respond collaboratively to individuals in crisis, provide the right intervention at the right time to avoid arrests, emergency room visits, and repeat 911 calls by connecting those individuals to appropriate resources.
Since May 2017, the co-responders with the Chambersburg, Greencastle, Washington Township and Waynesboro police departments, Franklin County probation departments and the public defender’s office have served over 2,500 individuals for more than 13,000 contacts. Of those 2,500-plus individuals, 90 percent have not had additional contact with law enforcement. This program was initiated thanks to funding from a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grant and continues today with support from the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Chambersburg and Waynesboro police departments.
These co-responders work collaboratively within their own law enforcement agencies, but also with the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services, Franklin County’s adult and juvenile probation departments, Franklin County Jail, Keystone Health and a variety of human service agencies.
“Thanks to the dedicated work of our co-responders and crisis responders, individuals experiencing mental health challenges can better connect with behavioral health resources rather than enter the criminal justice system,” said Franklin County Commissioner Chairman Dean Horst. “This in turn alleviates strain on our courts and correctional facilities and frees up our law enforcement agencies to focus their efforts on other aspects of protecting our communities.”
By highlighting National Co-Responder and Crisis Responder Week in Franklin County, the commissioners are encouraging residents to recognize the services these professionals provide to protect area communities, lessen the strain on the criminal justice system and offer appropriate resources to those in need.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or in need of immediate attention, help is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week through the Keystone Health Crisis Intervention Program by calling 717-264-2555 or through walk-in services at local emergency rooms. Help is also available by calling or texting the National Suicide Lifeline at 988.
