Emerging Practices to Elevate and Replicate Community Responder Programs Nationwide

• In Event: Community-Based Programs and Interventions

Abstract

Recognizing that existing and future community responder programs need standard practices to use as a foundation for effective and high-quality programs, the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center assembled a first-of-its-kind national commission focused on community response. The 21 members of this commission represent a diverse cross-section of community responder programs, researchers, advocates, and policymakers nationwide. Using consensus-building methods, the Expanding First Response National Commission met monthly for six months in 2023 to identify emerging practices and organize them into a report for professionals interested in uplifting community response. Commissioners and CSG Justice Center staff organized the resulting emerging practices into four pillars, intended to help set a standard for high-quality programming that meets the unique needs of communities: (1) Building and maintaining a professional identity with the community; (2) Integrating community responder programs into existing call centers and first response methods; (3) Scaling community responder programming with funding; and (4) Managing and monitoring a program’s quality through data collection and use. Presenters will discuss the process of establishing the commission and discuss the emerging practices under each pillar. They will conclude with a question-and-answer session and actionable recommendations for funders, policymakers, and educators/researchers to support community response.

Authors

• Mari E. Bayer, CSG Justice Center

• Anne Larsen, CSG Justice Center