Title
Resolution to Approve the Intergovernmental Agreement with Washtenaw County Community Mental Health for a Licensed Clinician to Support the Co-Response Program through Ann Arbor Police Department ($405,000.00)
Memorandum
Co-response is a behavioral health-focused crisis intervention model in which a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trained police officer and a licensed clinician respond together to calls involving behavioral health needs, emergent crises, or situations where an integrated law enforcement and clinical approach provides the highest level of care. Rather than limiting the model to low-risk or non-emergency calls, the co-response unit is embedded within routine police operations and is prioritized for calls that include indicators of crisis, safety concerns, or the need for immediate stabilization and clinical assessment.
To determine how a co-response model could be effectively implemented in Ann Arbor, the City Administrator convened a team to evaluate national best practices. This work included visiting multiple crisis response programs, observing operations on site, and reviewing staffing, dispatch, and service delivery structures used in other communities. The Chief of Police also completed ride-alongs with the Washtenaw County Co-Response Unit (CRU), providing additional insight into approaches that align with local operations and field-based service delivery.
Through this evaluation process, the City refined its approach to establish a formal co-response program, titled CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH (Ann Arbor Respond, Engage, Assist, Co-Response Help), which pairs a CIT-trained Ann Arbor Police Department officer with a licensed clinician provided through a contract agreement with Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (CMH). Under the Intergovernmental Services Agreement between the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw Community Mental Health Services (“Agreement’) CMH will supply a field-based clinician who will partner directly with the officer, ensuring clinical expertise is available on scene for assessment, stabilization, de-escalation, and connection to ongoing behavioral health services.
The CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH Unit will be integrated into daily police operations and dispatched to calls such as behavioral health crises, welfare checks with safety concerns, repeat crisis-related calls, petition and transport evaluations, and other situations where combined law enforcement and clinical support improves outcomes. The clinician will coordinate with CMH, and Supportive Connections when appropriate, for follow-up services, ensuring continuity of care beyond the initial response.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: The City will compensate Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (CMH) an amount not to exceed $135,000.00 annually for services provided to the CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH Unit. This annual amount is based on a minimum of 2,080 hours of clinician service per year, over a three-year period. Compensation will be made in monthly payments of $11,250.00 from the City to CMH. Funding for this program has been allocated through R-24-396, Resolution for County Millage Rebate Use (40/40/20) and an annual allocation of Marijuana Excise Tax Rebate Funds, allocated through R-21-098. This funding is included in the FY2027 General Fund and County Mental Health Millage Fund approved budgets.
.Staff
Prepared by: Mariah Walton, Deputy City Administrator
Reviewed by: Marti Praschan, Chief Financial Officer
Reviewed by: Andre Anderson, Chief of Police
Reviewed by: Jennifer Janetsky, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor seeks to strengthen its crisis response system by integrating behavioral health expertise directly into field operations, ensuring individuals experiencing behavioral health crises receive timely, clinically informed, and safety-focused support;
Whereas, Many crisis situations involve symptoms of acute mental illness, substance use, or trauma that require licensed clinical expertise to assess risk, determine appropriate interventions, and ensure individuals receive care aligned with best-practice behavioral health standards;
Whereas, Pairing a CIT-trained police officer with a licensed clinician provides a coordinated approach that improves scene safety, enhances de-escalation, and reduces the likelihood of use-of-force incidents during crisis encounters;
Whereas, Effective co-response relies on timely information sharing between the licensed clinician and the CIT-trained officer, enabling the officer to better gauge risk, understand behavioral-health indicators, and tailor scene management based on clinical assessment and history relevant to the individual’s safety and care needs;
Whereas, Embedding the co-response unit within routine police operations ensures timely deployment, reduces response delays, and allows clinicians to engage individuals during both crisis calls and routine interactions where early intervention may prevent escalation;
Whereas, National best-practice frameworks for crisis response recommend integrated law-enforcement and clinical partnerships for calls involving behavioral health needs, recognizing that combined expertise leads to more effective and equitable outcomes;
Whereas, Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (CMH) and the Washtenaw County Community Response Unit (CRU) currently operate a co-response model in Washtenaw County that deploys a licensed clinician alongside law enforcement, providing real-time crisis intervention, stabilization, and clinical assessment;
Whereas, CMH maintains a workforce of clinicians who are trained in crisis intervention, de-escalation, trauma-informed care, and field-based behavioral health practices, ensuring they are fully prepared to support complex calls and high-acuity situations;
Whereas, CMH has established operational protocols, supervision structures, dispatch coordination processes, and data-tracking systems that enable consistent, safe, and effective co-response operations within Washtenaw County;
Whereas, CMH’s existing co-response experience, clinical training programs, and operational infrastructure position the agency to successfully administer and sustain the CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH Unit in partnership with the Ann Arbor Police Department;
Whereas, CMH’s current co-response operations in Washtenaw County provide a proven model that aligns with Ann Arbor’s goals for co-response, ensuring continuity of practice, shared standards, and seamless coordination across the region;
Whereas, The City and Washtenaw County Community Mental Health (CMH) have developed an Intergovernmental Agreement, authorized under the Intergovernmental Contracts Between Municipal Corporations Act, MCL 124.1 et seq., to formalize the placement of a CMH clinician within the City’s A2 Respond Engage Assist Co-response Help Unit (“CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH”);
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor Police Department CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH CIT officers will operate under police authority with countywide jurisdiction through deputization by the Washtenaw County Sheriff;
Whereas, Under this Agreement, the CMH clinician will provide field-based behavioral health assessment, crisis stabilization, safety planning, care coordination, and follow-up services as part of a two-person co-response team with a CIT-trained AAPD officer;
Whereas, The CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH Unit will respond to all calls for service, with prioritization for mental health crises presenting imminent risk of harm, suicide attempts or threats, acute substance use crises, involuntary psychiatric hold evaluations, and other situations where combined law enforcement and clinical expertise improves outcomes;
Whereas, The Clinician will provide necessary follow-up after initial crisis encounters, including conducting outreach, coordinating continued engagement, and ensuring individuals are referred to Washtenaw County Community Mental Health for ongoing behavioral health services, or connected to Supportive Connections and the City’s unarmed response program, SPROUT, when appropriate;
Whereas, The Agreement establishes shared reporting, documentation, and information-sharing protocols that comply with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, and all applicable privacy laws, ensuring coordinated crisis response, program evaluation, and continuity of care;
Whereas, CMH will ensure the Clinician participates in joint training, maintains required licensure, engages in professional development, and supports cross-training for AAPD personnel; and
Whereas, The Clinician will remain an employee of Washtenaw County at all times, with CMH retaining full responsibility for hiring, supervision, discipline, compensation, benefits, and compliance with all applicable employment laws;
Whereas, The City will compensate CMH an amount not to exceed $135,000.00 annually, based on a minimum of 2,080 hours of clinician service per year, including time spent responding in the CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH vehicle, participating in required training, and conducting outreach or engagement activities on behalf of AAPD;
Whereas, Compensation will be made through monthly payments of $11,250.00, from the City to CMH;
Whereas, The City and CMH leadership will participate in structured quarterly program evaluation meetings to review performance, operational needs, staffing, training, and opportunities for continuous improvement; and
Whereas, This Agreement supports a pilot implementation of the CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH Unit and the Agreement may be renewed for up to two additional one-year terms at the City’s discretion;
RESOLVED, That the Ann Arbor City Council hereby approves the CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH Co-Response Unit as described above;
RESOLVED, That the Ann Arbor City Council approves the Intergovernmental Services Agreement Between the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County Community Mental Health to support the placement of a licensed clinician within the CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH Unit (“Agreement”);
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized and directed to execute said Agreement after approval as to substance by the City Administrator and approval as to form by the City Attorney;
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take all necessary actions to implement this resolution, including: execution of related additional agreements necessary to effectuate the terms of the Agreement; execution of authorized renewals and amendments not exceeding the approved expenditure amount; and termination of the Agreement as needed;
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator is further authorized to take all necessary administrative actions to implement, manage, and evaluate the CO-RESPONSE A2 REACH Unit, including coordination with AAPD, CMH, and community partners; and
RESOLVED, That City Council affirms its commitment to expanding crisis response options that promote safety, dignity, and clinically informed care for all residents, and further recognizes the Ann Arbor Police Department for its continued flexibility in operations and service delivery, including its willingness to adapt deployment models, integrate clinical expertise, and support innovative approaches that strengthen community-centered public safety.