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PARMA, Ohio — Parma and Parma Heights are the latest cities to greenlight initiatives teaming social workers up with first responders to handle mental health calls. They join a growing list of police departments around Northeast Ohio attempting to connect people in crisis with treatment instead of relying solely on arrest or hospitalization.
Approximately eight departments now have such co-responder programs, which send a social worker out on a call with a police officer to provide support in cases of mental health crises, domestic violence, substance abuse and other social service-related calls.
Parma City Council approved the partnership between MetroHealth, police and firefighters on Monday.
A similar program launched in 2022 as a pilot initiative in Shaker Heights. The program, titled, “First CALL,” with CALL standing for Crisis Assistance and Local Linkage, employed a similar co-responder model. Dispatchers screen 911 calls to determine if a social worker’s services would be useful. The program expanded in 2024 and is now employed by Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Richmond Heights and South Euclid. The program is part of a partnership with the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services, known as ADAMHS, Cuyahoga County government, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services and Cleveland State University.
Earlier this year, Cuyahoga County announced it would offer up to $3.5 million to expand the co-responder program to other communities.
Communities may apply individually or as coalitions of up to four municipalities for funding to cover up to 50% of the operational costs. Awards are capped at $50,000 annually for a max of three years, or up to $200,000 for coalitions.
There is no formal hard copy application. Instead, communities are asked to notify the county of their interest, so officials can help them develop programs.
In communities like Mayfield Heights and Euclid, departments are making efforts to meet community needs through Crisis Intervention Team, or CIT, certifications for officers and victim advocates.
Mayfield Heights Capt. Donavin Paquette said his department has a victim advocate on staff who assists crime victims and community members in need of housing, mental health or substance abuse resources.
Patrol officers typically respond to all calls for service or complaints, Paquette said. If an officer believes that an individual may be experiencing a mental health crisis or needs assistance beyond what an officer can provide, a victim advocate will either reach out directly to the individual or accompany the officer to meet with them to connect them with appropriate resources and support services.
“We make every effort to help individuals beyond simply resolving the immediate call or asking them to move along,” Paquette said. “All of our police cruisers are equipped with resource binders that officers can provide to community members when appropriate.”
Euclid police Capt. Donna Holden said their department takes the mental health of community members “very seriously” and said many of their officers are trained in CIT. At least 59 law enforcement agencies in the county have sent officers through the ADAMHS CIT program since 2021, according to the ADAMHS website.
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