The Rockford Police Department, Loves Park Police Department, Winnebago County Sherriff’s Office, and Rosecrance collaborates to form the Crisis Co-Response Team (CCRT), which aims to serve 1,800 Winnebago County residents living with Behavioral Health issues, including serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders.

The City and collaborators recognize that oftentimes, criminal acts are merely symptoms of an underlying issue. CCRT hopes to reduce prosecution for those experiencing behavioral health crisis. The goal of CCRT is to improve law enforcement’s current response to behavioral health crisis and believes that these positive contacts and linkage to services are critical to a healthier, safer community. CCRT assists those who come in contact with and/or are referred to CCRT via police report, officer referral, or community referral for the purpose of promoting safer encounters between individuals in need of crisis services and police department personnel by utilizing a co-responder model, which pairs law enforcement with mental health professionals.

CCRT refers, links and encourages participation in appropriate mental health services, substance use treatment and any other services that may fit the individual’s needs. CCRT completes follow up, assists with court referrals to the criminal justice system, and responds to live calls fielded by the City and County 911 centers where mental health or substance use may be an issue.

Crisis Co-Responder teams are dispatched when law-enforcement is required in mental health crisis response.