Police departments, district attorneys and mental health experts in the Susquehanna Valley say the commonwealth is in a mental health crisis. The Cumberland County DA told WGAL News 8 that more funding for police departments and mental health co-responders could lead to better results, something that resonated with co-responders within Dauphin County. Dauphin County co-responder program “The team since the start has responded to over 17,000 calls of service,” said Devon Chianos, Dauphin County deputy chief co-responder.The Dauphin County co-responder program began in 2020, when they had 396 calls for service. Data sent to News 8 shows that grew to more than 4,800 calls in 2025. Chianos, who oversees Dauphin County’s co-responder program, says calls for crisis response across the region have jumped more than 1,000% since 2020, with a 56% increase in mental health calls between 2024 and 2025 alone. However, calls for mental health crises in the field don’t always end in incarceration.”Since then, we’ve grown the team. There’s 10 total with eight departments, and we have been able to see that success with just our numbers,” said Chianos. “Out of those individuals who come in contact (with us), only 4% have ever touched the criminal justice system.””In 2025, we saw over 800 calls just at Lower Paxton alone,” said Lt. Autumn Lupey with the Lower Paxton Township Police Department.”Sometimes it’s helpful to have someone there that isn’t a police officer,” said Chrissy King, Lower Paxton Township police co-responder.King joined the Lower Paxton Township PD a year and a half ago with a bachelor’s degree in social work and eight years in child welfare work and undertook case management within Dauphin County before becoming a co-responder.Co-responders offer crisis intervention and servicesKing added that co-responders sometimes ride in the car alongside police officers and are on call outside of the station. People come to the police station to request co-responder help.”We could go out to a domestic violence call. And really, it’s, they’re having a dispute because they don’t have money to pay for food. And I can be out there and give them services and resources,” said King.Lupey said a co-responder can still be involved when a crime occurred and an arrest is going to be made, offering crisis intervention or services.Lower Paxton Township Police Department initiates program in 2021The Lower Paxton police program started in 2021 with one mental health expert, and now they have two co-responders stationed there.While police officers receive crisis intervention training, Lupey said there are fewer training sessions than officers available and takes a while to catch up. “Let’s just say there’s a criminal act we are investigating. A crime has occurred and an arrest is going to be made. The co-responder can still be involved in that,” said Lupey. “We’ve seen such a success with this program that I would recommend this to anybody that doesn’t have a program.” Chianos said co-responder teams connect people to caseworkers and diversionary programs, and more funding could bolster programs statewide, as not every county co-responder program has the 10 personnel that Dauphin County does.”A mental health crisis can affect anybody. It doesn’t matter your race, your religion and where you come from. It’s really about educating the community,” said Chianos.
Police departments, district attorneys and mental health experts in the Susquehanna Valley say the commonwealth is in a mental health crisis.
The Cumberland County DA told WGAL News 8 that more funding for police departments and mental health co-responders could lead to better results, something that resonated with co-responders within Dauphin County.
Dauphin County co-responder program
“The team since the start has responded to over 17,000 calls of service,” said Devon Chianos, Dauphin County deputy chief co-responder.
The Dauphin County co-responder program began in 2020, when they had 396 calls for service. Data sent to News 8 shows that grew to more than 4,800 calls in 2025.
Chianos, who oversees Dauphin County’s co-responder program, says calls for crisis response across the region have jumped more than 1,000% since 2020, with a 56% increase in mental health calls between 2024 and 2025 alone. However, calls for mental health crises in the field don’t always end in incarceration.
“Since then, we’ve grown the team. There’s 10 total with eight departments, and we have been able to see that success with just our numbers,” said Chianos. “Out of those individuals who come in contact (with us), only 4% have ever touched the criminal justice system.”
“In 2025, we saw over 800 calls just at Lower Paxton alone,” said Lt. Autumn Lupey with the Lower Paxton Township Police Department.
“Sometimes it’s helpful to have someone there that isn’t a police officer,” said Chrissy King, Lower Paxton Township police co-responder.
King joined the Lower Paxton Township PD a year and a half ago with a bachelor’s degree in social work and eight years in child welfare work and undertook case management within Dauphin County before becoming a co-responder.
Co-responders offer crisis intervention and services
King added that co-responders sometimes ride in the car alongside police officers and are on call outside of the station. People come to the police station to request co-responder help.
“We could go out to a domestic violence call. And really, it’s, they’re having a dispute because they don’t have money to pay for food. And I can be out there and give them services and resources,” said King.
Lupey said a co-responder can still be involved when a crime occurred and an arrest is going to be made, offering crisis intervention or services.
Lower Paxton Township Police Department initiates program in 2021
The Lower Paxton police program started in 2021 with one mental health expert, and now they have two co-responders stationed there.
While police officers receive crisis intervention training, Lupey said there are fewer training sessions than officers available and takes a while to catch up.
“Let’s just say there’s a criminal act we are investigating. A crime has occurred and an arrest is going to be made. The co-responder can still be involved in that,” said Lupey. “We’ve seen such a success with this program that I would recommend this to anybody that doesn’t have a program.”
Chianos said co-responder teams connect people to caseworkers and diversionary programs, and more funding could bolster programs statewide, as not every county co-responder program has the 10 personnel that Dauphin County does.
“A mental health crisis can affect anybody. It doesn’t matter your race, your religion and where you come from. It’s really about educating the community,” said Chianos.