Lee's Summit proclaims National Co‑Responder and Crisis Responder Week; police and Rediscover staff describe on‑scene model

The City of Lee's Summit proclaimed the week of September 2025 as National Co‑Responder and Crisis Responder Week and recognized the partnership between the Lee's Summit Police Department and Rediscover, a local community mental‑health provider.

Council read a proclamation that said the partnership deploys trained mental‑health professionals alongside law‑enforcement officers through co‑responder and mobile crisis teams to deliver on‑scene support, reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and repeat 911 calls, and help connect individuals to counseling, medication management, housing supports and recovery services. The proclamation was read on the council dais and attributed to Mayor William A. Baird.

Officer Michael Iceberg, identified in the meeting as the crisis intervention team coordinator for the Lee's Summit Police Department, described the corresponder program during council remarks. He said the co‑responders are licensed mental‑health professionals who “wear plain clothes. They don't carry weapons or anything like that,” and that they respond with specially trained crisis‑intervention officers to on‑scene calls. Iceberg told council that the corresponder team looks for key words on police radio calls and that “all you have to do when you call 911 is ask for us, you know, say, hey, I want a corresponder to respond to this call. And we'll go.”

Iceberg and other speakers said the program aims to connect individuals to services and divert them from emergency rooms and jails. Iceberg gave call‑volume figures from the record: “In 2020, we had 722 mental health related calls for service. 2022 ... 1,479.” He and co‑responders described safety planning, checking on clients after contact and linking people to ongoing care.

Participants who introduced themselves at the ceremony included Officer Michael Iceberg (crisis intervention team coordinator, Lee's Summit Police Department), Maggie Randall and Jennifer Jackson (co‑responders who ride with officers), Travis Forbes (Chief of Police), Aaron Evans (Captain), Heather Mason (program manager, Rediscover mobile crisis response services) and Shannon Moss (clinical director, Rediscover crisis services). Council members and the mayor recognized the partnership in a proclamation that highlighted early intervention and coordination between police and behavioral‑health staff.

Council did not take legislative action on the proclamation; it was presented as formal recognition and community information. The presenters asked residents to request a corresponder when calling 911 if they want a behavioral‑health professional to respond with police.