“I don’t think this should be just another program; it should just be what we do”

Chief Wiczkowski, West Lampeter Police Department

The Peer Co-Responder Project started as a two-part initiative in 2023 through a PCCD Violence Intervention and Prevention grant and was designed to revive community policing by placing Certified Peer/Recovery Specialists in police vehicles in West Lampeter Township. These specialists respond alongside officers to offer meaningful, person-centered support during calls and in the time surrounding the interaction with law enforcement.

In March of 2025, we received a VIP Expansion Grant through PCCD that extends into 2028. This expansion not only allowed us to include multiple other police departments within Lancaster County but also expand the Peer Co-Responder role from one part time person to three full time people.

In phase one of the original grant and the expansion, we hosted our CoRe Academy including the following: CRS class, CPS class, Forensic Peer Support, Crisis Peer Support, and Trauma Sensitive Peer Support trainings. Police officers have been invited to both rounds of this academy to be students and work alongside peers in this training setting to better understand how to work as a team, trauma, forensics, and crisis from the peer perspective.

In phase two of the original grant and the expansion, the Peer Co-Responders are entering their communities as a team with an officer to provide a safe and calm place to talk about the situation, explore options, and have a connection that goes beyond that initial interaction with law enforcement. Peer Co-Responders in this program are not only there for the crisis moment, but are able to support an individual as long as they need to afterwards.

Data will be collected to see how our model impacts the communities we have placed it in.

Questions? Contact us at PMHCA@pmhca.org.