Multijurisdictional Alternative Response Teams: Implementing and Expanding Mental Health Response Teams within Inner Ring Metro Communities

What mental health response is right for your agency? Building and implementing a program can be a complex task, and it is not “one size fits all.” This presentation will discuss the co-responder model, the CARE response model, and a hybrid approach. Specifically, the speakers will discuss how to implement a hybrid CARE response model within an inner ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, operating with social workers and peer supporters working in four teams. The discussion will include locating funding, training, hiring, navigating a political environment, unit branding, and expanding or implementing a multijurisdictional response. The program operated in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and is the first program of its kind within the State of Ohio, serving five suburban communities with a combined population of over 100,000.