A Locally Driven Juvenile Co-Responder Program: Planning and Implementation

This study outlines the development and implementation of a law enforcement led, co-responder program that occurred in one Florida county from 2017 to 2021. The goal was to reduce involuntary commitment (i.e., Baker Act) examinations initiated by frontline officers. The program was embedded in the sheriff’s office, designed for youth under the age of 18, and relied on licensed therapists to provide on-scene crisis de-escalation assistance to responding officers. First, we describe the strategic planning process which included a survey of sworn officers and dispatchers (n = 165), semistructured interviews with the chain of command (n = 30), and analysis of months of administrative records. Then, we report findings from 29 months of program implementation. Data describing 206 juvenile mobile crisis responses, youths’ suicidal risk factors, and involuntary commitment decisions are presented, as well as monthly and yearly trends in recorded calls for service that involve a youth experiencing a mental health crisis and their dispositions (i.e., involuntary commitment or de-escalation). A reduction in the rate of involuntary commitment examinations made by frontline officers, timely on-scene arrival by a mental health professional, and clear alignment in suicide risk severity and response dispositions were some of the observed benefits of the program. We highlight the critical role that police mental health collaborations have in providing effective care for youth in crisis and emphasize the critical role that these initiatives will play in the future.