This should include projecting the funding needed for planning, hiring and retaining staff, training, and ongoing support during crucial times for community responders. Costs for needs such as mobile vehicles (if applicable), data collection, program management, and oversight are also important to consider when determining funding needs.

Communities that go this route can plan to transition to local funding streams once programs get off the ground and see initial success, although some jurisdictions may offer state and local grant dollars at the start. If leaders choose to develop a pilot program for the community responder team, there should also be a plan in place for bringing the program to scale across the entire community that includes options for multiple years of future funds.

Programs may also need to find additional funding sources, whether through private, federal, or local dollars, such as federal emergency relief funds. Medicaid may offer long-term sustainability via service reimbursement for mobile crisis teams or through 1115 waivers. Programs should continue to collect data to show their success through outcome data and case examples of people helped by the program to help secure future funding. This involves setting up key metrics at the beginning of the program and using progress to show legislators and potential funders (whether federal, private, or local) the positive impact the program provides and how much more it can do with additional support.