Co-response—the process of dispatching behavioral health clinicians or mental health specialists alongside law enforcement to incidents involving mental health, substance use, or behavioral crisis—is gaining popularity. Sometimes the teams are first responders together, while other times clinicians follow up afterward (“after-the-fact referrals”) to provide assessment, stabilization, and connection to services. No matter how it looks, it’s picking up speed—and for good reason.

 

Co-Response is Effective, and Trending

When law enforcement, mental health professionals, and dispatchers team up to respond to crises—there’s strong evidence of real impact. Some recent data:

• Denver’s co-responder program handled 1,725 calls in its first year; only ~4% resulted in citation or arrest, meaning most were resolved via treatment or connection rather than punitive measures.
  
• In Colorado overall, co-responder teams in 2018-19 responded to 4,357 calls across 25 counties. Over time they saw greater diversion from enforcement actions (like arrests, mental health holds, transports to hospitals), and improved connection to behavioral health services.
  
• Programs in Virginia have reported more crises resolved in the community, fewer restrictive outcomes, and better access to behavioral health and substance use disorder services.

The trend is clearly leaning toward more jurisdictions adopting co-response, scaling up their programs, collecting data, and seeing measurable shifts in outcomes. When these teams function well, the benefits ripple across communities. Fewer individuals in crisis are arrested or cited unnecessarily, as more situations are resolved through de-escalation rather than criminalization. At the same time, connections to care increase, with more referrals to behavioral health and substance use services that reduce the cycle of repeat crises.

Co-response also creates efficiencies for law enforcement by freeing up officers from situations that require specialized clinical intervention, while dispatch and follow-up teams distribute the workload more effectively. The presence of clinicians alongside officers enhances community trust, showing a more balanced and compassionate response to crisis. For individuals, the outcomes are often far better: fewer hospital transports, fewer involuntary mental health holds, less escalation to force, and more opportunities for stabilization in the community.

 

How to Train for Effective Co-Response

Define clear roles and hand-offs
– Simulate scenarios where roles must shift: when the clinician takes the lead or when the officer must reassert safety.
– Practice verbal and non-verbal cues that signal readiness for hand-off.
– Debrief immediately to talk about what was clear, what wasn’t, and what cues were missed.

Include escalation indicators in training
– Build in environmental, behavioral, and verbal cues, such as tone, posture, bystanders’ reactions, and barriers or threats in surroundings.
– Pause mid-scenario to replay escalation moments. Ask, ” What changed here? When did you see it?”
–  Use video or observer feedback so participants see themselves (or their partner) in those moments.

Simulate dispatch integration
– Start the scenario as though the call is coming through 911 / dispatch. What information is given? What clarifying questions are asked?
– Practice handling incomplete or changing information.
– Include dispatchers (if possible) in debriefs so they understand how what they say influences what responders do.

Run full-scenario, realistic simulations
– Leverage the expansive folder of mental health-specific content in the MILO system to deliver immersive, branching scenarios in realistic settings, eliminating the need for actors or staff to stage role-plays.
– Include follow-up or after-the-fact scenarios to simulate what happens after the initial contact (referrals, outreach).
– Vary the types of calls: some low-risk, some escalating; include the unpredictability of crisis response and intervention.

Debrief and reflect with structured feedback
–  What went well? What would you do differently?
– What cues did you miss? How did roles shift? How was communication?
– Encourage feedback across disciplines (clinician-to-officer, officer-to-clinician, dispatch if involved) so everyone hears each other’s perspective.

Measure outcomes and iterate
– Collect data: number of calls, what percentage led to arrests vs. diversions, hospitalizations, follow-ups, satisfaction of people in crisis.
– Use that data to adjust training: which scenarios need more reps, which cues are consistently missed, and which hand-offs seem muddied?
– Keep training regular; new staff, turnover, evolving community needs all require refreshment of co-response readiness.

 

The Value of Shared Investment

Co-response training in the MILO room is a force multiplier when agencies collaborate. Law enforcement, clinicians, and dispatchers can share the same training environment, which reduces costs and creates consistent standards across partners. Simulation eliminates the recurring expense of live role-players while delivering immersive, branching scenarios that can be replayed and refined as often as needed.

The ROI is clear—the outcomes extend well beyond the training room. Teams leave with clearer roles, stronger communication, and a better understanding of how to work together under pressure. Individuals in crisis experience more stability and connection to care, responders operate with greater confidence, and communities gain a safer, more coordinated response. For agencies seeking both fiscal responsibility and measurable improvements in public safety, MILO provides a direct path forward.