Community Response Team

Our Community Response Team (CRT) focuses on residents and calls with potential mental health issues. As the number of individuals facing mental health issues continues to increase throughout the country, we recognize the importance of treating these individuals compassionately to serve them and Parker better. 

Officer A.J. Naro and Clinician Bri Malone are our Community Response Team members. Officer Naro is specially trained to work with Mental Health Clinician Malone on patrol. CRTs streamline access to care for individuals in the proverbial “revolving door.” The CRT allows patrol officers to return to the road quicker, as calls with a mental health component tend to be lengthy. A patrol officer will first respond to a call for service. The initial responding officer determines if there is a mental health concern that needs to be addressed by the CRT. After the team conducts a crisis assessment of the patient, the clinician can immediately refer to any level of treatment or place the individual directly into inpatient treatment. The team uses a special medical clearance that treatment providers and insurance companies accept instead of an emergency room visit. CRT also makes follow-up visits and conducts preventative visits to individuals who have been identified as high users of emergency systems. Its case management team can coordinate ongoing care. 

This team is part of the Douglas County Health Initiative’s Community Response Team, along with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Castle Rock Police Department. Officer Naro and Bri have been a team since 2022.

We are grateful that we can provide better service for those in need and their families with the Community Response Team.