Bucks County Co-Responder Program

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

In December 2020, the Co-Responder Program was launched as a pilot in Bucks County’s largest municipality, Bensalem Township, and has grown to now include seven mobile co-responders embedded in 15 police departments county-wide. The Co-Responders partner with law enforcement and serve as a liaisons in addressing the social service needs of individuals contacting 911 Emergency Services to affect the following outcomes: decrease the time law enforcement spends in response to a situation involving social service needs; provide a more effective emergency response through the addition of clinical-informed support and an enhanced community resource knowledge base; ensure those who outreach for an emergency response receive timely and streamlined connection to resources to address their social service needs; and divert individuals with primary social service needs from further penetration into the criminal justice system. Typical situations which can benefit from the Co-Responders’ assistance: individuals calling with suicidal thoughts without attempt, strange or bizarre behavior, persons with known mental illness disconnected from services and causing concern in the community, family and domestic violence involving multiple members, child and adolescent issues without criminality, runaways, questionable need for Adult or Child Protective Services, families and victims of traumatic events, and individuals who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol who are requesting help. Documented advantages of the Co-Responder Program, to date, include an increase in diversion of people away from initial or further penetration into the criminal justice system, reduction of repetitive calls from persons with issues better addressed by our County Human Services Division, effective, appropriate, and immediate response to crisis situations, and connecting individuals with needed community services to help address their social service needs.