Ann Arbor Police Launch A2 REACH Crisis Response

The program pairs a trained police officer with a licensed social worker to respond to 911 calls involving mental health crises.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Mental Health

Ann Arbor Police Launch A2 REACH Crisis Response

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The Ann Arbor Police Department partnered with Washtenaw County Community Mental Health to launch the A2 REACH program on Friday. The team responds to 911 calls involving mental health crises, pairing AAPD Officer Anya Shinabery, trained in crisis intervention, with licensed social worker Nicole Brent.

Why it matters

The program offers an alternative to a purely law-enforcement response when someone in Ann Arbor is experiencing a mental health crisis. It aims to address immediate safety and connection needs for residents in the city and across Washtenaw County.

The A2 REACH team operates Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., a window that excludes evenings and weekends. The available information does not include call volumes or outcome data for the program's first days.

The players

Ann Arbor Police Department (AAPD)

The municipal police agency serving Ann Arbor, Michigan, which partnered on the program and assigned an officer trained in crisis intervention to the team.

Washtenaw County Community Mental Health

The county agency that provides public mental health services in Washtenaw County, Michigan, and supplied the licensed social worker for the program.

The details

A2 REACH stands for Respond, Engage, Assist, Co-response and Help. The program provides crisis intervention and de-escalation, assesses immediate safety concerns, develops safety plans, and connects people with mental health services and community resources, focusing on immediate needs rather than long-term care.

Friday: A2 REACH program began operating.
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: standing operating hours for the team.

Big Picture

A2 REACH extends the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training model, which equips police officers to handle mental health calls, by pairing a trained officer with a licensed social worker at the scene. It marks a shift from officers responding alone toward a co-response model.

Ann Arbor residents who call 911 during a mental health crisis may now be met by a police officer and social worker working together, during weekday daytime hours. The program focuses on safety planning and connecting people to local services rather than on enforcement alone.

The takeaway

Residents facing a mental health crisis during weekday daytime hours in Ann Arbor can request a co-response team through 911. The program is designed to connect people with services, not only to manage the immediate call.