The South Australian Government has announced it will expand a mental health support co-responder program, in a bid to reduce the number of presentations to hospital emergency departments and free up more SA Police for frontline duties.
The 2025-26 State Budget provides $13.9 million over five years to continue and expand the Mental Health Co-Responder Program across Adelaide.
Established under Labor in 2022 as a trial, the co-responder program pairs a mental health clinician with a police officer to respond to mental health Triple Zero call outs.
The additional funding will enable the program to expand into the southern suburbs beginning October this year, following successful results in the Central Adelaide Local Health Network and Northern Adelaide Local Health Network.
“The co-responder program has been incredibly successful, providing better outcomes for people experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Minister for Police, Stephen Mullighan.
“At times, a large number of SAPOL callouts involve people with mental health concerns who require mental health support of some kind.”
The co-responder model has prevented 2,472 ED presentations, and it is expected the expansion to the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network will further prevent approximately 800 more ED presentations a year.
“Emergency departments are often not the best place for people needing support with their mental health which is why programs such as this are so important,” said Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Chris Picton.
“Keeping people out of hospital who don’t need to be there is not only much better for them, it’s better for our health system.”
As part of the program, patients can undergo a specialised mental health clinical assessment and when needed follow-up referrals made, reducing the potential of a police callout in the future.
“The co-responder model provides better outcomes for people experiencing a mental health crisis,” said SAPOL Acting Assistant Commissioner John De Candia.
“Police are not qualified as mental health clinicians and at times the police presence can have a significant impact on the person who is experiencing a mental health episode.
“The expansion of the partnership that already exists between Police and SA Health will allow for an alternative approach to dealing with mental health in the southern suburbs that will ultimately reduce demand on police and enable us to undertake proactive policing and prevent crime.
“This model has prevented 2,472 presentations to emergency departments since commencing in 2022, which is of benefit to SA Health, and ensures that police are freed up for frontline duties,” he said.
“The success of the co-responder program at CALHN and NALHN is an example of how there are other ways we can help people receive the care they need without visiting a hospital,” said Mental Health Clinical Director, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Titus Mohan.
“Expanding this program to SALHN will help ensure the program is available across the metropolitan Adelaide area, meaning more consumers can access the service should they need it.”
The Government said the co-responder model complements the comprehensive range of public mental health services already in place for children, adolescents, adults and older people in South Australia.
