A&M Police, Health Services join forces for new co-response program

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – The Texas A&M University Police Department and the A&M Health Services Department have teamed up to fill a need they say exists in law enforcement response.

ACES, which stands for Assistance, Connection and Engagement Services, is a new collaborative program that has teamed up UPD officers with a counselor. Megan McCarty, an A&M counselor now joins an officer during their shift, which includes on-calls and patrolling the community.

“I am a licensed professional counselor with University Health Services, but I have the unique role through the ACES program to actually be embedded here at UPD,” she said.

When the officer she is with responds to a subject or person in crisis, McCarty says she’s ready to help.

“I’m there in the background, but then they actually end up being pretty upset, maybe something else comes out. They’re experiencing a lot of stress. They have a big distressing moment. Fantastic, we have a counselor right here and I’m able to step in,” McCarty said.

She can connect students with necessary mental health resources either on campus or in the community.

Kari Becker, the Assistant Director of University Health Services, said this partnership was created when they saw a gap on campus.

“Historically, University Health Services had relied upon students coming into our department and through our doors for services,” she said. “We wanted to find ways to connect with students out on the campus and reach them where they were at. So this was one of the ideas that was brought up as a way that we can holistically take care of our students and respond to the mental health needs of the students out on campus.”

Assistant Police Chief, Bobby Richardson, agreed. He said this partnership allows them to connect with students in a different way.

“Lots of times when the uniform shows up, that brings for some anxiety, but our co-responders they’re dressed in normal clothes. It kind of bridges the gap between law enforcement and the mental health community,” he said. “It’s been very positive. We’ve been able to help a lot of students. It’s a blessing to have Megan in the co-responder here with us.”

While programs like these are in cities and municipalities across the country, they’re not often found on a college campus. McCarty said bringing the program to a campus police department is cutting edge.

“It is my passion. I just believe that taking the two entities and the two professionals and bringing them together and being able to jointly respond to people who are potentially in their most vulnerable time is just amazing service. So I’m really proud to have been able to come here to A&M and help start the program. I hope it grows and grows,” she said.

According to the Bureau of Justice, co-responder programs just like this one have led to a decrease in injuries to subjects and officers, plus fewer repeated encounters.