Asheville first responders partner with mental health professionals on crisis calls
Wed, August 5, 2026 at 5:01 PM
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AUG. 5, 2026 – Officers with the Asheville Police Department in downtown Asheville, N.C. (Photo: WLOS Staff)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) —Asheville police and firefighters are expanding the way they respond to mental health emergencies through a co-responder program that pairs first responders with licensed mental health professionals, giving people in crisis access to services at the scene
The Asheville Police Department partnered with RHA Health Services through a Vaya Health grant to add a qualified mental health professional who responds alongside officers on certain calls involving people experiencing a mental health crisis
Police leaders said the co-responder brings years of experience in mobile crisis response and the medical field, helping build trust with people who may be reluctant to engage with law enforcement
“He’s worked with mobile crisis for years. He’s worked in the medical system. He brings the ability as a non-uniformed person with the experience that he has to be able to establish that in some cases, we have trouble establishing because we bring a different level of services. He’s really been able to bridge the gap that we need to bring people where they need to be,” said Captain Evan Coward with the Asheville Police Department
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Coward said the program expands the department’s ability to connect people with re
“We only have so many options, and this allows us to use opportunities to get people into services of various varieties. And the top priority, though, is to create a safer environment when we’re interacting with people who are in crisis and create a safer environment for the person in crisis,” Coward said
The initiative builds on the department’s existing Crisis Intervention Team training, where officers and mental health professionals train together to recognize the signs of a mental health crisis and respond appropriately
The Asheville Fire Department is also expanding its co-responder efforts through its Reing people with community re
Fire officials said adding a mental health professional allows crews to do more than simply make a referral by helping guide people through the process of getting care
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“The extent of our scope is just making the referral. What the co-responder program does for us is it puts someone with our REST firefighters[…] Instead of just making a referral, they’re capable of shepherding that person through the system. Instead of sending them for help, we are literally taking them and walking them hand-in-hand through the process to get those folks the help they need,” Trey Young with the Asheville Fire Department said
Police and fire officials said co-responders now assist on a variety of calls, including welfare checks, mental health crises and calls involving someone unresponsive
Both departments said the partnership is designed to better connect people in crisis with treatment and other community re
