05/29/2025
PRESS RELEASE:
NATIONAL CO-RESPONDER CONFERENCE HEADS SOUTH
More than One Thousand First Responders and Mental Health Professionals to Gather in Atlanta
The sixth annual National Co-Responder Conference (CoRCon) will take place from June 2-4 in Atlanta at the Hilton Atlanta Hotel. More than one thousand attendees are registered for the conference, which promotes collaboration among co-responder programs nationwide, bringing together frontline responders – including police, fire, EMS, and behavioral health – to connect and grow.
The CoRCon conference is hosted by International Co-Responder Alliance (ICRA) in partnership with Georgia Co-Hosts, Highland Rivers Behavioral Health and View Point Health.
"CoRCon is where collaboration becomes innovation,” said ICRA Board Chair Jessica Murphy. “As we bring together co-responder teams from across the country, we strengthen our shared mission to provide compassionate, coordinated crisis response that truly serves our communities.”
Murphy, who serves as the Deputy Division Director of the Co-Responders & Mobile Crisis Teams at Johnson County (Kansas) Mental Health Center in a full-time capacity, remarked that this year’s CoRCon theme is, Together in Action.
“This reminds us that real progress happens when we are united in purpose and grounded in partnership,” said Murphy. “With the rising demand for effective responses to behavioral health crises, first responders and behavioral health professionals must work side by side to meet the unique needs of the individuals and families we serve.”
“Highland Rivers Behavioral Health is excited to co-host the CoRCon conference alongside the International Co-Responder Alliance and View Point Health,” said Melanie Dallas, CEO of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health. “Co-response is effective because it provides immediate access to mental health crisis consultation where and when it is needed most – in the community, where an individual is most likely to be when a crisis emerges. At the same time, it reduces justice involvement and connects individuals with mental health supports in their community,” said Dallas.
“Co-response is vital,” said Jennifer Hibbard, CEO of View Point Health. “It puts behavioral health clinicians on the front lines alongside law enforcement to appropriately redirect individuals who need mental health services into care – rather than incarceration. At View Point Health, we have a robust and solid co-responder team and have been involved for several years in the development and sustainability of these programs. We are proud of our co-responders and law enforcement partners who are making a difference in the lives of individuals in need. We believe in this work, and we look forward to joining in the co-response movement with the International Co-Responder Alliance and Highland Rivers Behavioral Health at the CoRCon conference,” concluded Hibbard.
The Opening Session of CoRCon will begin on Monday, June 2 at 8:30 a.m. with welcoming remarks provided by Commissioner Kevin Tanner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
“Georgia is proud to host this year’s National Co-Responder Conference and to shine a light on the vital work being done at the intersection of behavioral health and public safety,” said Commissioner Kevin Tanner. “Georgia is committed to partnerships that ensure people in crisis are met with compassion, clinical care, and the right response at the right time. I want to thank Highland Rivers Behavioral Health and View Point Health for helping showcase our state’s successful co-response model.”
Georgia’s first co-responder programs emerged in the 1990s, pairing behavioral health professionals with law enforcement to respond to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. In 2022, the state enacted Senate Bill 403, the Georgia Behavioral Health and Peace Officer Co-Responder Act, establishing a statewide framework for operating initiatives. Georgia’s state leaders also passed the 2022 Georgia Mental Health Parity Act, which authorized the state to fund co-responder pilot programs, ensuring more communities could launch their own programs.
The conference will also premiere a short documentary showcasing Georgia’s life-saving co-responder programs. Members of the press: Please send a message to access this video.
Learn more about the sixth annual National Co-Responder Conference at https://www.coresponderalliance.org/CoRCon.
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