New Volunteer CCSO Co-Responder Team

Press Release
by Undersheriff Susan Barnes
The Custer County Sheriff’s Office, at the direction of Sheriff Lloyd Rich Smith, has launched a Co-Responder Program. This program pairs specially trained law enforcement officers with mental health professionals to handle mental health crises. The program’s primary goal is to provide efficient crisis de-escalation and connect individuals in crisis with appropriate
behavioral health services. Research shows that this response model has positive outcomes, including reducing arrests, police detentions, emergency department visits, and psychiatric hospitalizations, and promoting cost-effectiveness.
While pursuing election to his office, Sheriff Smith articulated his passionate commitment to improving law enforcement-based behavioral healthcare. With the addition of two mental health professionals to his department, who recently became residents of the County, Sheriff Smith established the basis for a co-responder program.
The Sheriff’s Office welcomes G Thomas Manzione, Ph.D., and Jaclyn Manzione, M.S. to their team. Dr. Manzione is a licensed professional counselor, certified addiction specialist, nationally certified addiction counselor, and a certified equine specialist in mental health and learning.
Dr. Manzione possesses special training and skills that enable him to assess the mental health of clients and address cognitive, psychological, and behavioral disorders using an extensive range of therapy techniques. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, he performs the tasks of diagnosing and treating mental and emotional disorders, conducts research into the efficacy of advanced therapy techniques, and refers clients to medical mental health professionals as necessary.
In addition to his mental health credentials, Dr. Manzione is a Colorado POST-certified law enforcement officer. Qualitative research indicates that the most effective configuration of a co-responder team includes having a police officer who is credentialed as a mental health professional.
Jaclyn Manzione is a retired medical professional who now practices as a registered psychotherapist. She is also certified as an equine Gestaltist, master Gestaltist, and equine specialist in mental health and learning.
Gestalt Counseling is a form of psychotherapy that provides mental and emotional support to individuals struggling with various mental, emotional, and addictive disorders. Jaclyn specializes in counseling clients with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, behavioral disorders, and sexual abuse. She also offers crisis management and mental health assessment services. As a research scientist, Jaclyn has conducted studies on diagnostic medical techniques and animal-assisted psychotherapy to determine their effectiveness.
Jaclyn has experience as a first responder, coach, and adjunct instructor at the Law Enforcement Officers’ Academy located at the Flatrock Regional Training Center. Additionally, she has trained SWAT team hostage negotiators.
Jaclyn and Tom lived in the mountains of Boulder County for 18 years before moving to their new permanent home in Westcliffe. They are a family of four, with two sons. Their oldest son is actively serving as a decorated Marine Corps Naval Aviator, and their youngest son works for a federal agency in Denver.
At the request of the Sheriff, Dr. Tom and Jaclyn agreed to help develop a co-responder program to address the increased demand for behavioral healthcare services in the County.
The Sheriff says that the co-responder program aims to enhance the already impressive work done by the deputies in serving the community. The CCSO deputies are highly trained (CIT) in dealing with critical incidents and have a successful track record.
Sheriff Smith’s agency has achieved an exceptional level of competency by implementing the co-responder model. According to the Brennan Center for Justice’s latest data (2020-2022), only fifteen out of the top 50 law enforcement jurisdictions nationwide have created new co-responder programs. This highlights the rarity of such programs and the significance of Sheriff Smith’s achievement.
To work towards the goal of providing better behavioral health-care services proactively, Sheriff Smith plans to establish an “Early Intervention Team” consisting of co-responders and members from the educational, law enforcement, and judicial communities. This team will conduct behavioral health threat assessments for situations of concern.
The Sheriff is dedicated to providing these mental health services with empathy, genuine care and concern to enhance the safety, security, and well-being of the community. The Co-Responder Program will share office space with Victim’s Advocacy. Please watch for an invitation from the Sheriff’s Office to meet Dr. Tom and Jaclyn and welcome them to our community.