Lynchburg Police Department and Horizon Behavioral Health Create Partnership to Address Mental Health Crisis

Lynchburg, Virginia – A collaboration aimed at addressing the mental health crisis in the Lynchburg community.

The Co-Responder Program will enable the Lynchburg Police Department and Horizon Behavioral Health to respond to the growing need for mental health assistance.

“We hope this will reduce the number of people who have to be detained under so-called emergency treatment orders or emergency detention orders, which are involuntary detention based on civil obligations. Our goal is about making sure people here in our community have access to the services and treatment they need,” Lynchburg Police Chief Ryan Zuidema said.

The Co-Responder Program partners police officers trained in crisis intervention with Horizon crisis intervention specialists. The two will drive together and respond to behavioral health calls throughout the Hill City.

“One of the key benefits of this program is that we bring a crisis intervention specialist to an individual who is experiencing a crisis in the community, rather than having them see a crisis specialist,” said Clinical Director said AJ Harrold. Horizon Behavioral Health said:

We provide people facing mental health crises with the services they need to stay safe in their communities.

“Over the past five to six years, we have seen a steady increase in the number of mental health crises in our communities. Last year alone, we employed nearly nine full-time police officers just to respond to mental health calls. ,” Zuidema said.

Secretary Zuidema said the goal is to launch the program within the next few months.