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...
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