Mental health co-responders in Mount Juliet, Tennessee respond to more than 200 calls.

JULIET, MT (WKRN) — Mental health co-responders are working with police in an incident that is the first of its kind in Mount Juliet.

Since February 2023, there have been more than 200 calls related to mental health crises.

“I deal with just about anything that falls under the category of mental health,” said Dani, MJPD’s mental health co-responder.

Since February 2023, Dani, our mental health co-responder, has responded to 207 crisis calls.

“For Mt. Juliet, I honestly didn’t think it was needed as much as it is,” Dani said.

These calls range from suicidal thoughts to domestic violence to people with intellectual disabilities. “I offer them that link, that olive branch to really open up. In addition to that, I’m providing them with resources after the fact,” Dani said.

For Dani, she said it was an experience in her personal life that brought her to the Mount Juliet Police Department. She said: “I have three daughters on the autism spectrum so it was really important to me to help police officers how to approach daughters on the autism spectrum.”

Through training, Dani helps educate police officers about what mental health calls look like.

“It’s really important for law enforcement and first responders to have a different perspective on what mental health looks like,” Dani said.

But in addition to responding to community calls, she is also responsible for supporting the mental health of officers themselves.

“I try to be very flexible, so if an officer needs someone to talk to, I’m always available,” Dani said.