As cities and states across the nation consider how to de-escalate situations that have historically resulted in arrest or violence, many are looking to models like Weld County’s Squad 1.
Squad 1 is a collaborative effort between North Range Behavioral Health, North Colorado Health Alliance, and the Greeley Fire Department. It has its own first-response vehicle, staffed by a paramedic, community health care manager, and one of NRBH’s mental health crisis counselors. The Squad 1 team gets called into action when mental health, substance abuse, homelessness, or other chronic medical conditions are considered to be the underlying cause of the situation.
In this episode of Weld Found, a podcast hosted by Tim Coons of The Community Foundation, NRBH’s own Jayme Clapp speaks about her work as a co-responder and how she’s been able to use both her experience as a counselor and her calling to care for the mentally ill to reduce emergency room visits, jail admissions, and response costs while connecting the people who need it most to the mental health services we offer.
