New Program Removes Denver Police from Some 911 Calls

June 10, 2020
JEMS Staff
A woman looking at a call center.
Photo/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

A new pilot program in Denver will have a mental health clinician and paramedic respond to mental health-related calls instead of police.

Related: Ada County PET Tackles Mental Health Cases Head-On

The Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) was launched June 1 and operates Monday through Friday. KDVR-TV reports the program launched just as protest erupted throughout the nation over the killing of George Floyd.

The STAR program is modeled after a program in Eugene, Oregon, called CAHOOTS and officials would like to see the program in Denver expand around the clock.

Related: London’s Innovative Response for Patients Presenting with Mental Health Problems

Denver Police uses a co-responder model where a mental health counselor and an officer respond to calls together.

The program will run for six months.

Mobile Integrated Health and Community ParamedicineColoradoMental Health

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