Editorial: Police, SummitStone pave a path forward on addressing mental health

Expansion of co-responder program a step in the right direction in better addressing mental health crises in Larimer County.

Coloradoan Editorial Board
Loveland Police Sgt. Bob Shaffer, right, checks on a homeless man, looking over his feet that are damaged due to walking in waterlogged shoes, Friday, July 21, 2017, in downtown Loveland. Shaffer suggested the man stay off his feet until they and his shoes were dry to keep from further damaging his feet.

The next time a Fort Collins police officer is called to help someone experiencing a mental health crisis, his backup might not carry a badge or a gun.

Fort Collins Police Services and SummitStone Health Partners this month will begin pairing officers trained in community policing with experts trained in de-escalating mental health crises. The end goal of the partnership: Connecting people in crisis with the services they need instead of connecting them with the jail and criminal justice system.

Co-responder partnerships aren't new in Colorado. The Loveland Police Department and SummitStone have had a program in place for a couple years, and various Denver-area police departments and health providers also partner. Experts, like SummitStone CEO Michael Allen, say the programs lead to reduced use of officer force as trained behavioral health experts help diffuse situations that might otherwise end in an arrest.

As Allen put it, co-responders use "verbal judo" to diffuse situations that might otherwise end in an officer's use of actual judo. Our local police officers are among the best of us in understanding and responding to the human condition, but the extra layer of support can be a boon for positive outcomes in crisis situations.

At a time when assaults on officers are up, and as Larimer County leaders continue with how best to address a rising tide of mental health and substance abuse issues, that sounds like a win-win to us.

That's why, as SummitStone works to expand its co-responder programs, the Coloradoan Editorial Board applauds Loveland and Fort Collins police leadership for their vision and encourages other area law-enforcement agencies to follow suit.

SummitStone and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office are in talks about the program, and we hope those discussions will lead to another partnership that strengthens our community safety net for those in crisis.

Beyond the potential for better outcomes for officers and those in crisis, we're encouraged by how Northern Colorado police are working to integrate mental health resources into their daily routines. 

Given last year's failure of a tax measure that would build and support the operations of the first public mental health and detox facility in Larimer County, and the stigma that surrounds seeking the services such a facility would provide, perhaps that integration should be taken a step further.

Allen said SummitStone offers service in eight buildings while also offering behavioral health care at 25 other locations. The goal is to integrate behavioral health services into locations where people are already receiving primary care. In essence, any observer can't differentiate whether a patient exiting a facility received care for tendinitis or suicidal thoughts.

As a board, each of us could recall knowing about the places in our home towns where people went for mental health help, and being aware of — and sometimes participating in — the derision directed at people who sought out help.

That mentality needs to stop, and every Northern Colorado resident has a part to play in elevating the discussion of the important place these services play in our community's well-being.

But the built environment has a role to play, too. That's why, if Larimer County is going to pursue another go at tax funding for a behavioral health facility, county leaders would be well served to get specific on how such a facility would be integrated to the existing continuum of care.

The county needs the services a facility provides, but it doesn't need the "otherness" of a standalone building. 

We applaud the path Fort Collins and Loveland's police departments are taking to integrate mental health services into their daily duties. As the conversation continues about how best to provide expanded mental health and detox services in Larimer County, government, civil and health care leaders would be wise to follow their lead.

This is the viewpoint of the Coloradoan Editorial Board, made up of six community members and Coloradoan News Director Eric Larsen and Watchdog Coach Rebecca Powell. The board meets weekly to set the topic and direction of the Coloradoan's Sunday editorials. News reporters are not involved in the editorial board process.