Partnering with Community Colleges to Grow and Strengthen the Community Responder Workforce

Hosted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center with funding and support from the Joyce Foundation 

Community responder programs, which position trained professionals to respond to behavioral health crises and social disturbances, have expanded rapidly across the country. As these programs continue to be deployed, it is crucial that training and workforce development opportunities are available so that community responder teams are properly staffed with trained professionals. One way to expand this training is through partnerships with community colleges, which provide similar workforce development opportunities in other sectors. 

When Evanston, IL, began to roll out their Crisis Alternative Response Evanston (C.A.R.E.) community responder program, they partnered with Oakton College to create a program that trains participating community members in proper procedure and skill-building to respond to crisis calls from the community.  

During this webinar, staff members from the Evanston Department of Parks and Recreation’s C.A.R.E. team and Oakton College will speak about the development and implementation of this program. Additionally, researchers and national experts will explain why workforce development programs are vital to the success of community responder programs and how partnerships between these programs and community colleges are mutually beneficial. 

Speakers: 

• Anne Larsen, Deputy Program Director, Behavioral Health, CSG Justice Center (facilitator)
• Melissa McKee, Senior Policy Analyst, Behavioral Health, CSG Justice Center (facilitator)
• Dr. Amy Watson, Professor, School of Social Work, Wayne State University (panelist)
• Audrey Thompson, Director of Parks and Recreation Department, City of Evanston, IL
• Jeron Dorsey, Deputy Director, Parks, Recreation and Community Services, City of Evanston, IL
• Jesse W Ivory, Ed.D., Assistant Vice President, Workforce Innovation and College Partnerships, Oakton College

• Rachel Stams, C.A.R.E Team Member