DAYTON, Ohio — A six-year partnership that sends behavioral health professionals alongside sheriff’s deputies on mental health crisis calls in Montgomery County has won statewide recognition, Eastway Behavioral Healthcare announced. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Co-Responder Program received the Blue Line Award at the 2026 Law Enforcement Training Symposium, according to Eastway Behavioral Healthcare.
The award recognizes law enforcement agencies that demonstrate innovation and develop practical solutions that improve daily police work while positively impacting their communities, Eastway Behavioral Healthcare said in its announcement. While the award was presented to the Sheriff’s Office, the recognition specifically highlighted its partnership with Eastway and the role Eastway’s specialists play in the program’s success, the announcement said.
Through the program, a Montgomery County sheriff’s deputy responds alongside an Eastway behavioral health specialist to calls involving people experiencing mental health or substance use crises, according to Eastway Behavioral Healthcare. Once deputies establish that a scene is safe, the specialist can focus on de-escalating the situation, assessing the person’s needs and helping determine the most appropriate next steps for care, the announcement said.
At the center of Eastway’s involvement are Kathy DeBos and Marlene Ortiz, the program’s two CIT co-responders, supervised by Kimberly Vogel, Eastway’s Director of Adult Recovery Services, according to Eastway Behavioral Healthcare. Their work includes assessing immediate needs, identifying treatment options and connecting people and families with hospitals, providers and community resources — and it continues after the crisis, with follow-up often within 48 to 72 hours, the announcement said.
The results, according to Eastway Behavioral Healthcare, show the model’s impact: in 2025 the program assisted 510 Montgomery County residents; 20 percent of referrals were connected to or maintained in community treatment programs, 55 percent were connected with a local hospital through emergency or voluntary admission, and 98 percent of the residents served avoided incarceration.
“For six years, our partnership with Eastway has continued to grow because both organizations are committed to helping people in our community,” Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck told Eastway Behavioral Healthcare. “This award recognizes the dedication of the deputies, co-responders and behavioral health professionals who have made this program what it is today,” Sheriff Streck told Eastway Behavioral Healthcare.
The partnership began in 2020, as Montgomery County faced a significant increase in calls involving people experiencing behavioral health crises, according to Eastway Behavioral Healthcare. It has since expanded to work alongside other community resources, including partners responding to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Mobile Response and Stabilization Services, the announcement said. Eastway, based in Dayton, is one of the Miami Valley’s largest private, not-for-profit providers of mental health, substance use, housing, employment and educational services, according to Eastway Behavioral Healthcare.