LINCOLN- Mental health professionals will start accompanying Lincoln police officers on calls involving people having a mental health crisis under a new program announced Tuesday. The Co-Responder Program is a partnership between the Lincoln Police Department and CenterPointe. It is to be funded for the first three years by a $550,000 Bureau of Justice Assistance grant and $221,278 from the City of Lincoln’s general funds.

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said it was a “shining example” of agencies joining forces to get the most appropriate and effective care to people in need. Lincoln Police Chief Michon Morrow said such co-responder programs have led to better outcomes by reducing the use of control by officers and by getting the appropriate experts quicker to people in distress.

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