Asheville launches co-responder partnership embedding mental-health professionals with first responders

Deputy Chief Sean Ardemo told the Public Safety Committee that the city is formally integrating qualified mental-health professionals into police and fire operations to respond to behavioral-health crises, provide on-scene assessments and support long-term case management.

"The biggest thing we're looking forward to here is to integrate qualified mental-health professionals directly into our operations," Ardemo said. Presenters described a field-forward model that will include on-scene assessment, proactive outreach, and post-incident case management to reduce emergency-department reliance and repeat crisis contacts.

Staff said the APD co-responder (identified in the presentation as Neil Caddell) will work regular hours (reported as roughly 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Monday through Friday), be embedded full time with police, and have a counterpart assigned to the fire department. Presenters emphasized this is intended as a sustained commitment, not a short trial; staff said grant funding for the program is in place through 2028.

The committee heard that the program will track metrics including call origination (public, officer-initiated or self-initiated), repeat individuals, locations and outcomes; a key goal is increasing diversion of people in crisis from emergency departments to the Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) operated by RHA. City staff also discussed the need to strengthen local treatment capacity and streamline direct-admit pathways so responders have timely options for care instead of emergency-room stays.