Diverting community members away from jail and into mental health treatment, one 911 call at a time. That’s the focus of the Emmy-award winning documentary Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops.

Vitalyst Health Foundation, The David & Lura Lovell Foundation, and The NARBHA Institute have partnered to bring this powerful film back to Arizona in June for a series of screenings.

Leaders and individuals from law enforcement, the fire service, emergency medical services, emergency dispatch, behavioral health services, and community members are invited to register now for a free regional screening.

HBO has captured the San Antonio Police Department’s pioneering crisis intervention approach in an Emmy Award-winning documentary, and Vitalyst is pleased to be offering free virtual screenings.

By region, the Zoom-based “Ernie & Joe Crisis Cops” events will span the month of June, starting with Maricopa County’s screening on June 3. The screenings are open to leaders and individuals from law enforcement, the fire service, emergency medical services, emergency dispatch, and behavioral health services. The abridged, 35-minute screening will be followed by a live panel Q&A.

As communities reckon with the behavioral health impacts of the pandemic and more, the work modeled by Ernie and Joe in this documentary is more important than ever. All Arizonans are encouraged to view the full documentary via HBO, and our first responders are urged to click here to register today for their free regional screening events. See below for more information about the upcoming screenings and to register:

Contact: hello@kominote.org with any questions.