Manitou Springs Police partners with UCHealth to create new unit to address mental health calls

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Manitou Springs Police Department (MSPD) partnered with UCHealth to create a new unit that’ll co-respond to 911 calls where behavioral health is a primary factor. 

Manitou Crisis Response 1 (MCR-1) is made up of an MSPD police officer who has undergone mental health-related training and a licensed behavioral health clinician from UCHealth Memorial Hospital. 

City officials said the unit is meant to divert contacted individuals from the emergency room when a behavioral health issue arises. 

“The fact of the matter is, oftentimes, police officers are not the best people to respond to situations in which a licensed behavioral health clinician can use their expertise and training to better handle the situation.” MSPD Chief of Police Bill Otto said in a press release. “This new unit is simply the best way to address any behavioral health-related calls.”

Andrea Wood, behavioral health manager at UCHealth Memorial Hospital, said this unit can help de-escalate situations.

According to city officials, MSPD responded to more than 760 behavioral health-related calls in 2022.