Mobile Crisis Units & Co-Responders in the United States
By 1 Million Madly Motivated Moms
Published 2021
At least twenty percent of 911 calls are because of mental health and/or substance use issues. With mental health and substance use being a leading cause of death in America, we need to understand that the police are not the best response to these situations. Because law enforcement officials often have little to no training to handle these circumstances, officers may resort to force, which can quickly exacerbate the situation.
MCU professionals are trained to provide immediate assessments of individuals suffering from mental health issues and de-escalate the situation and provide them with necessary services and/or recommendations. Mental health clinicians accompany COR officers. In these cases, officers are still present for some calls. However, co-responders are an alternative to traditional police arrivals.
The most up-to-date information can be found on the 1 Million Madly Motivated Mom’s website.