The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office has launched a new Co-Responder program aimed at improving responses to law enforcement calls involving mental health needs.
The program pairs a deputy with a mental health clinician, both employed by the Sheriff’s Office, to respond together when mental health support is needed.
Sheriff Andy Rohrich said the number of mental health-related calls has grown at an alarming rate in recent years, and data from similar programs has proven their effectiveness.
A state grant is covering roughly half of the program’s funding. To secure the remaining support needed for a full rollout, the Sheriff’s Office is exploring creative funding solutions, including a proposed lodging tax increase on the November ballot that would direct a large portion of funds to emergency services.
