A police-clinician co-response team to people with mental illness in a suburban-rural community: a randomized controlled trial

The police-mental health co-response model has garnered support from both police and healthcare workers. It is praised for its ability to enhance crisis de-escalation, increase in-service referrals, and reduce pressure on the criminal legal system, and its cost-effectiveness relative to hospitalization. This study examines whether the police-mental health co-response team actually achieves the proclaimed goals in a suburban-rural community.

A total of 2809 police shifts were randomized into treatment and control groups, with 140 participants recruited. The study analyzed and compared the numbers of police contacts and mental health calls for service among participants in treatment and control shifts over a 12-month follow-up period.

The results revealed no significant difference in the number of subsequent police contacts between the treatment and control groups. The findings were further complemented by insights gathered from focus group interviews.

In summary, implementing a co-response team shows promise for assisting individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, especially for police departments and service providers in non-urban areas. However, to achieve long-term effectiveness, it is crucial to identify strategies that reduce treatment attrition and enhance subsequent outcomes.