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Longmont Designated a LEAD Community

Helping Colorado Communities Through LEAD and Co-Responder - by Reggie Bicha, Executive Director of Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) “Worth their weight in gold.
Longmont Observer
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Photo by Chris Richardson

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Helping Colorado Communities Through LEAD and Co-Responder

- by Reggie Bicha, Executive Director of Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS)

“Worth their weight in gold.”

That’s how one law enforcement officer recently described mental health clinicians who ride along in squad cars to help when police encounter people whose problems extend into the realms of substance use and mental health disorders.

We couldn’t agree more, and recently we announced big changes to support and collaborate with our state’s law enforcement officers to better serve individuals with substance use and mental health disorders.

Where We'll Partner in Colorado

Through funding from the legislature, CDHS is awarding $5.2 million annually for four Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) pilot programs and eight law enforcement and behavioral health Co-Responder partnership programs.

The programs will help communities across the state. LEAD, a pre-booking diversion program, will be implemented in Alamosa, Denver County, Longmont and Pueblo County. Co-Responder will be implemented in the city and county of Broomfield, Denver County, El Paso County, Evans, Grand Junction, Larimer County, Longmont and Pitkin County.

Each of these communities applied for the funding -- up to $575,000 annually for LEAD and $362,500 annually for Co-Responder -- with local proposals aimed at keeping people out of jail and getting them the services they need.

How Coloradans Will Benefit from LEAD and Co-Responder

Here’s how the two programs work:

  • In LEAD communities, instead of an individual being arrested for a low-level drug or prostitution offense, the officer can refer the individual to a case manager. The case manager will help the individual find resources such as housing, substance use treatment services or vocational training. By diverting individuals with low-level drug and prostitution offenses into intensive community-based social services, the LEAD Pilot Program should reduce neighborhood crime, get people into the treatment they need and reduce costs associated with the criminal justice system.

  • In Co-Responder communities, law enforcement officers will be paired with a behavioral health specialist who can help assess and treat individuals with mental health and substance use issues at the scene. A dispatcher will send a behavioral health specialist with a law enforcement officer when an individual is in crisis or experiencing a psychotic episode for example. The behavioral health specialist will help de-escalate situations that have historically resulted in arrest and assess whether the person should be referred for a behavioral health assessment.

LEAD is new to Colorado but has seen great success in Seattle and Santa Fe. The effectiveness of the program will be evaluated over the next three years via a partnership with the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.

Co-Responder was developed in Los Angeles and San Diego and already has a history of success in our state. Nine Colorado law enforcement agencies currently have a Co-Responder program. It’s exciting that we’re able to provide the program more broadly.

Why Now is the Time

Efforts like these that aim to keep people with substance abuse issues out of jail -- and get them into treatment -- come at a critical time with the opioid crisis in Colorado. Every 9 hours and 30 minutes, someone in Colorado dies from an opioid overdose. With great leadership from Gov. Hickenlooper, Colorado has numerous efforts in place to combat the opioid crisis, with several being run through CDHS’ Office of Behavioral Health. Providing additional tools to law enforcement through LEAD and Co-Responder is just one key piece of the puzzle.

Work will begin in LEAD and Co-Responder communities in just a few months after contracts are finalized. With their implementation, we’ll improve public health and help end the cycle of recidivism.

The City of Longmont is currently hiring for a program manager for the LEAD program.  For more information click here.

Originally Published on the Colorado.gov website.  Published here as a community service by the Longmont Observer.