Mental Health Co-Responders

In March 2017, the Riley County Police Department (RCPD) in conjunction with Pawnee Mental Health Services (PMHS) created two mental health co-responder positions to provide officers assistance serving citizens in crisis situations. 

According to former Riley County Police Department Director Brad Schoen, the position helps restore what has been lost in recent years. “We’re confident it will help us address shortcomings in local mental health care which have resulted from cuts to community mental health centers over the past several years.”

Brynne Haverkamp has been employed as one of two mental health co-responders with PMHS/RCPD since January 2018. Brynne has been with Pawnee Mental Health Services since August 2015, starting as an intern in the crisis department. She was employed as an outpatient mental health therapist for the Marysville office in July 2016 and later as a dual diagnosis therapist. Brynne earned her Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from Kansas State University in 2012 and her Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas in 2016. 

Tiffany Anders has been employed as one of two mental health co-responders with PMHS/RCPD since August 2018. Tiffany has completed her clinical internship with Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center while placed at the Douglas County Jail providing mental health services to inmates. Tiffany worked in foster care for 7 years locally and in surrounding communities. Tiffany has a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Behavior Sciences from the University of Kansas (2010) and a Masters in Social Work (2018).

Dr. Jeremy Boyle, the Crisis Services Director at Pawnee Mental Health Services, believes the program will be beneficial to the community. “My highest hope for this program is that the crisis responder can help individuals who are dealing with mental health and substance use disorder engage in the treatment they need before it leads to behavior that may cause them to end up in legal trouble.”