Denver Integrated Behavioral Health Call Dispatch
The city has streamlined crisis response routing and moved STAR responders to direct municipal employment.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Substance Abuse
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Denver has reorganized its call routing system to connect residents directly with behavioral health experts during emergencies. This shift aims to simplify the request process for city assistance and eliminate confusion regarding which department should respond to a crisis.
Why it matters
The city aims to remove the burden on residents to navigate complex emergency options during behavioral health crises. By centralizing resource deployment, officials intend to streamline how the city addresses individual needs through a more unified response strategy.
Caring for Denver is providing $785,000 in funding over three years to support call takers. Meanwhile, daily coordination now involves over 10 city agencies to ensure appropriate resource deployment.
The players
Atencio
Atencio coordinates daily calls with over ten city agencies to facilitate the response to behavioral health and drug crises.
Caring for Denver
Caring for Denver is an organization providing $785,000 in funding over three years to support the city's new call-taking initiatives.
STAR
STAR (Support Team Assisted Response) is a co-responder program that transitioned to direct city employment in September 2026.
The details
The city has transitioned STAR co-responders into direct city employment to better integrate mental health and drug crisis services. Behavioral health experts now process incoming calls to determine the most effective responder, supported by daily inter-agency coordination meetings.
Timeline
September 2026: The city began employing STAR co-responders directly.
October 9, 2026: The initiative details were published.
The Big Picture
This reorganization follows the city's established commitment to the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program. It marks a formal transition toward treating behavioral health as a core municipal responsibility rather than a peripheral service.
Residents in crisis now have a more straightforward path to receiving specialized help without needing to choose between various city departments. This consolidation simplifies the request process, ensuring that the appropriate support arrives more efficiently during an emergency.
The takeaway
Centralizing dispatch for behavioral health crises reduces the complexity for individuals reaching out for help in difficult moments. Improving coordination between agencies ensures that resources are deployed more effectively to meet the specific needs of Denver residents.
Further reading
For more information on local initiatives, visit the Substance Abuse section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Denverite.
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