PROTOCOL: Co‐Responding Police‐Mental Health Programs and the Impact on Justice and Social Service Outcomes: A Systematic Review

TL;DR

This paper outlines a systematic review protocol to assess the impact of police-mental health co-responder programs on justice and social service outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Contribution

The study introduces a structured approach to evaluate the effectiveness of co-responder programs in criminal justice and social service contexts.

Findings

The review will assess if co-responder programs reduce criminal justice system involvement among vulnerable populations.

It will examine whether these programs improve social service outcomes for individuals in crisis.

The study will explore how program effects vary by research design, location, and population type.

Abstract

This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The objectives are as follows. The current review will provide criminal justice and policymakers with information regarding the efficacy and effectiveness of co‐responder programs on criminal justice and social service outcomes. Specifically, the authors will address the following research questions: (1) Do co‐responder police‐mental health programs reduce the frequency or likelihood of criminal justice system involvement (e.g., offending, police welfare check, victimization) among those experiencing homelessness, drug and/or alcohol addiction, or mental health crises (hereafter “vulnerable populations”)? (2) Do co‐responder police‐mental health programs improve social service outcomes among vulnerable populations? (3) Do the effects of co‐responder police‐mental health programs vary by the following factors: study research design, geographical location, type of population, type of outcome (e.g., official vs. unofficial reports), and intervention characteristics (e.g., setting, type of practitioners)?

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