Mary Lupien Selected To Join National Commission To Support State Investments Of Community Responder Programs
(February 10, 2025) - The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, a national leader in promoting research-driven solutions to public safety, has selected Rochester City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Mary Lupien to join its second Expanding First Response Commission. Building on efforts of the inaugural commission (2023-2024), this national group of public officials and community advocates will work together to develop guidance for states looking to support the expansion of community response programs.
The commission features over 25 leaders in crisis response, including bipartisan elected officials, emergency response trailblazers, academics, practitioners, and community advocates.
“I am honored to be selected as a member of the Expanding First Response Commission, and I’m looking forward to working with a group of dynamic leaders who are committed to improving public safety,” said Lupien. “We need to invest in solutions that take the burden off police and provide the right response to things like mental health crises.”
While the term “community responder program” is relatively new, the concept of expanding first response efforts to include trained health professionals and community members is not. Thanks to programs like the Freedom House Ambulance Service (which served in Pittsburgh in the late 1960s and early 1970s) and CAHOOTS in Eugene, Oregon, communities have started reimagining public safety that reduces reliance on law enforcement while improving outcomes for people in need. Now, states have begun to respond to these community-led efforts with financial investments and state legislation. Just last year, New Jersey passed the landmark Seabrooks-Washington Community-Led Crisis Response Act, which allows for communities to receive support from the state’s Department of Law and Public Safety within the Attorney General’s Office.
“Through our work with community responder programs and crisis response systems across the country, we have seen how much stronger these programs can be when state governments provide support, guidance, and a vision of shared principles,” said Sarah Wurzburg, CSG Justice Center deputy division director of behavioral health. “Community responder programs save lives, and we’re thrilled to have Mary Lupien’s voice and leadership as we look to expand these programs across New York and throughout the country.”
Community responder programs involve mobile teams that provide services including assistance for people experiencing behavioral health crises, wellness checks, connections to housing and other services, conflict resolution, and more. Yet, they are best when tailored to local needs and included as part of a comprehensive continuum of care and support. Several communities are leading innovation with these programs, including Albuquerque, NM, Atlanta, GA, Dayton, OH and Durham, NC.
Learn more about the Expanding First Response Commission’s work at https://csgjusticecenter.org/publications/expanding-first-response/commission.
