Overview

A comprehensive approach to mental health and crisis response better equips call takers, dispatchers, and responding officers to handle crisis situations effectively through ongoing training, performance measures, and accountability mechanisms. Mental health and crisis response can include models for co-response or diverted response that involve partnerships with the behavioral health community.

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Self-Review Tool

The Knowledge Lab is developing an online self-review tool to help agencies reflect on their current policies and practices evaluate them against research and evidence-informed practices their performance in key areas of policing. This tool is intended to provide a snapshot of where an agency currently stands within this core practice area. There are no right or wrong answers, only an opportunity for honest reflection, learning, and continuous improvement.

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Resources Related to Mental Health and Crisis Response

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Emergency response scene featuring a police SUV with flashing lights in the foreground and a fire truck in the background.

Article | 2025

Building a (Police) Field of Dreams with Implementation Science

  • Mental Health and Crisis Response
  • Officer Safety and Wellness

Guidebook/Tool | 2025

Evaluation Guide: Considerations for Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) and Crisis Response Program Evaluations

  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

Webpage | 2024

The Sequential Intercept Model (SIM)

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

Guidebook/Tool | 2024

Preparing Law Enforcement Agencies for Embedded Clinicians

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

Guidebook/Tool | 2023

911 Dispatch Call Processing Protocols: Key Tools for Coordinating Effective Call Triage

  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

Guidebook/Tool | 2023

Law Enforcement Response to People with Developmental Disabilities: Steps for Deflection or Pre-Arrest Diversion

  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

Guidebook/Tool, Webpage | 2023

Community-Driven Crisis Response: A Workbook for Coordinators

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

Report | 2023

Evaluating the Utility of Sobering Centers: Analyses of Police and Sobering Centers Across Five Jurisdictions

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Mental Health and Crisis Response

The information provided within these modules has been gathered from various sources, including legal reviews, research, and practitioner and department-developed resources. These webpage modules are intended to be a guide for departments to use to improve their policing practices. Additional information and resources may be needed to implement the recommendations successfully. This resource is intended to be dynamic, and the Knowledge Lab will continue to update and add to these modules to provide additional and current guidance for departments.

Explore the Complete Resources Library

Access the complete Resources Library to explore a wide range of strategies, tools, and best practices that support agencies, practitioners, and communities.