The Community Response Team (CRT), established in 2017, by the Douglas County Mental Health Initiative, pairs a law enforcement officer with a mental health professional to help adults and youth experiencing a mental health crisis avoid the emergency room or jail and, instead, find the support they need to heal. Each team member fulfills a distinct role to ensure safety, conduct medical clearance, assess mental health, and level of care needs, and facilitate connection to appropriate mental health services during and following a crisis. The Community Response Teams and Youth Community Response Teams are unique co-responder partnerships supported by the Board of Douglas County Commissioners, Law Enforcement, Fire/EMS, and Mental Health Providers.