UFPD co-responder program expands mental health response on campus
During Mental Illness Awareness Week, UFPD highlights a growing team that brings law enforcement and mental health professionals together to support the UF community
The University of Florida Police Department is highlighting the expansion of its co-responder program and its role in connecting the UF community with mental health support and re
UFPD implemented its Co-Responder Program in June 2022, becoming one of the first campus police departments in the country to deploy this model in a comprehensive way. The co-responder team pairs UFPD officers with mental health clinicians who respond together to calls that may involve a behavioral health component, bringing clinical expertise directly to individuals experiencing distress.
UFPD Chief Bart Knowles said the team reflects the department’s broader approach to serving a university community with needs that extend beyond traditional law enforcement.
“Our responsibility to the UF community goes beyond responding to crime,” Knowles said. “There are times when someone needs a law enforcement response, but they also need the expertise and support of a mental health professional. The co-responder program allows us to bring those reeds of the individual.”
Currently, the team has two clinicians who ride alongside six officers for their shifts, allowing team members to develop trust and familiarity with how one another responds in challenging situations.
“We have found that this helps with team cohesion and allows the clinician and officers to develop trust and rapport with one another to help when quick decisions need to be made on scene,” Officer Alex Wanzenberg said.
Bringing mental health support directly to the scene
Because UFPD is available 24 hours a day, officers get called to situations involving individuals experiencing distress. Without an on-scene clinical assessment, officers may have limited options, including transporting someone to a mental health facility. Through the co-responder model, clinicians can assess the situation and help determine whether a less restrictive alternative may be appropriate.
During the 2024–25 reporting year, the team responded to 163 calls involving behavioral health crises, suicide-related calls, Baker Act transports, well-being checks and other circumstances where behavioral health concerns were present.
Of the calls in which hospitalization was being considered, the team was able to divert the individual to a less restrictive option 55% of the time. Alternatives can include connecting someone with the Counseling and Wellness Center or developing a safety plan involving a trusted parent, spouse or other support person.
Support beyond traditional mental health calls
Not every call involving the team begins with an obvious mental health crisis.
In one instance, a student went to UF’s Disability RePD was initially called to take a theft report, but after recognizing the student’s distress was making it difficult to complete the report, the officer requested assistance from the co-responder team.
The team provided support and helped de-escalate the situation, allowing the original officer to complete the theft report.
Co-responders can provide crisis intervention and de-escalation, conduct lethality assessments, develop safety plans and connect individuals with counseling, victim services, shelters and other reing individuals with appropriate re.
Continuing to build awareness
Meggen Sixbey, Ph.D., a UFPD assistant director who oversees the Behavioral Services Division, said continued awareness is especially important in a university community that welcomes new students and employees each year.
“Building awareness is an ongoing effort because our university community is always changing,” Sixbey said. “We want people to know that support is available and that asking for help, whether for yourself or someone you’re concerned about, is an important first step.”
Sixbey, a nationally recognized expert in law enforcement-mental health collaboration policies and procedures, said awareness is more than recognizing the signs of mental illness. She said, “It is creating a community where people feel safe asking for help and where others feel prepared to respond with compassion.”
Members of the UF community experiencing a mental health crisis or concerned about someone else can contact UFPD at 352-392-1111. In an emergency, call 911.
Additional support is available through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, and UF students can access mental health services through the UF Counseling and Wellness Center.
