CCHAT by the Numbers
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Community Crisis & Health Assistance Team (CCHAT)
Phone: 303-670-7566Emergency Phone: 911
Colorado Crisis Services: (844) 492-TALK (8255)
Did you know that a significant portion of emergency calls involve vulnerable individuals in our community? These are individuals who may have a higher dependence on emergency services due to mental or behavioral health challenges (including substance use), intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities, aging, or homelessness. They are also at a higher risk for exploitation, victimization, and criminal justice involvement, often due to unmet needs.
- In the first quarter of 2025, 390 calls (seven percent of the total calls for service) for Clear Creek emergency response agencies involved a vulnerable individual.
- In the second quarter of 2025, 345 (six percent of the total calls for service) for Clear Creek emergency response agencies were dispatched to involved a vulnerable individual.
- In the third quarter of 2025, 354 (almost seven percent of the total calls for service) for Clear Creek emergency response agencies were dispatched to involved a vulnerable individual.
These calls are identified using a keyword search in our CAD data system (dispatch database).
Clear Creek County is committed to providing a specialized and compassionate response to these situations through the Community Crisis and Health Assistance Team (CCHAT) and Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for law enforcement. Below is a deep-dive into what we do and how.
CCHAT: A Specialized Response Team
CCHAT is comprised of mental health professionals and community paramedics dedicated to better meeting the needs of vulnerable individuals and freeing up other first responders for core emergencies. Their goal is to reduce or eliminate a person’s reliance on emergency services.
CCHAT responds in three key ways:
- Community Paramedic or Community Integrated Health Care Service (CIHCS) Team: This team addresses gaps in access to care by providing resource navigation, basic health assessments, medication management, care coordination, and patient education, especially for medically fragile individuals.
- Co-response Team: This team responds alongside EMS, Fire, or Law Enforcement to calls involving a vulnerable person that also require their presence. They support de-escalation, conduct mental health and needs assessments, assist in determining the appropriate call resolution, and advocate for the individual's physical, mental, and behavioral health needs.
- Community Alternate Response Team: This team responds to appropriately screened 911 calls that do not require EMS, Fire, or Law Enforcement. Their aim is to de-escalate and resolve each call with the least restrictive means, including safety planning and resource navigation,1 to prevent future emergency service contact.
CCHAT also carefully tracks the types of vulnerabilities individuals are experiencing during their contact. It's important to note that a person may have more than one vulnerability.
Positive Outcomes and Diversion
The majority of the time, after CCHAT involvement, the individual is able to remain safely in place, often at home. CCHAT’s involvement is also making a significant difference in diversion through the below strategies:
- Alternate Response: These are calls where CCHAT was able to respond alone, preventing the need for Law Enforcement or EMS/Fire involvement.
- Diverted from: Instances where CCHAT intervention successfully diverted a vulnerable person from a higher level of care (like a hospital) or involvement in the criminal justice system (jail).
- Units released: These are calls where CCHAT was able to take over from Fire/EMS or Law Enforcement, allowing those units to return to other emergencies while CCHAT continued to support the vulnerable individual.
- Crisis Intervention Training (CIT): This training equips our law enforcement officers with comprehensive training to promote empathy and understanding, while increasing effective communication and de-escalation skills when interacting with community members during their most vulnerable moments. This training helps law enforcement gain a better understanding of the needs of individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, and other vulnerabilities.
Clear Creek County is committed to ensuring that all members of our community receive the appropriate support and care they need. By understanding the challenges faced by our vulnerable populations and the dedicated efforts of teams like CCHAT, we can work together towards a healthier and more supportive community for everyone.
Past and current reports
The Community Crisis and Health Assistance Team tracks the performance of CCHAT and Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). The data on how CCHAT responds (e.g., Community Alternate Response, Co-response) and its interventions (e.g., Crisis Intervention, Resource Navigation) provides tangible evidence of the program's value. Specifically, the "Diversion" data is crucial, as it quantifies how CCHAT involvement reduces or eliminates the need for more intensive emergency services or criminal justice involvement, such as:
By analyzing this data, leadership can assess if these programs are achieving their goal of reducing the vulnerable person’s reliance on traditional emergency services and ensuring more appropriate care. This information is vital for making data-driven decisions about funding, staffing, and expanding these specialized services.