Date of Conferral

1-29-2026

Date of Award

January 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Aaron Pierce

Abstract

Law enforcement officers are increasingly called upon to respond to mental health crises, yet their experiences as members of co-response teams (CRTs) remain underexplored. This study was conducted to address that gap by examining the lived experiences of officers assigned to CRTs that pair specially trained officers with mental health clinicians to respond jointly to calls involving individuals in crisis. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe how officers experience CRT work and how it shapes their perceptions, practices, and professional identity. The study was guided by Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress, appraisal, and coping, which frames stress as a dynamic process involving the appraisal of demands and available coping resources. Eight officers who had served on CRTs for at least 6 months participated in semistructured interviews. Participants were selected using purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using Groenewald’s five-phase phenomenological explicitation process that included bracketing, identifying units of meaning, clustering themes, and validating findings through member checks. Key findings revealed three central themes: professional development, operational dynamics, and community engagement. Officers reported increased empathy, improved communication skills, and a shift from skepticism to support for the CRT model. Challenges included limited staffing, inconsistent program availability, and the need for stronger coordination with community mental health services. The findings of this study has implications for positive social change that include elevating CRT officers’ voices and offering recommendations to improve training, staffing and public trust.

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