Association of Co-Response Clinicians
Built by Clinicians. Guided by Ethics. Focused on Trust.
Strengthening the Co-Response Clinician
As co-response continues to expand across the United States, there remains no nationally recognized competency framework or professional standard specific to the role of the co-response clinician. The behavioral health professionals serving communities in these roles are highly skilled, adaptable, and accomplished—typically holding master's degrees and post-graduate licensure in social work, counseling, psychology, marriage and family therapy, or addiction counseling. Yet despite their clinical expertise, most receive little to no formal education designed specifically for the unique demands of field-based crisis response. Consequently, agencies are left to develop their own training models, policies, and expectations, resulting in wide variation in clinician preparation, role definition, and practice. While this flexibility has fostered innovation, it has also limited the professional recognition of co-response clinicians, leaving gaps in standardized competencies, legislative representation, liability protections, and, at times, equal standing within multidisciplinary public safety partnerships.
To advance the profession and establish a foundation for consistent, high-quality practice, the Association of Co-Response Clinicians created the FieldWise™ Institute—a competency-based educational institute dedicated to enhancing the field readiness of co-response clinicians through specialized training, professional development, and evidence-informed standards that strengthen both the profession and the communities it serves.
Introducing FieldWise™: The Institute for Co-Response Excellence
FieldWise™
Enhancing the Co-Response Clinician's Field Readiness
Grounded in Connection. Driven by Evidence. Equipped to Respond.
The FieldWise™ Institute is the education and professional development division of the Association of Co-Response Clinicians (ACRC™). Created to advance the field of co-response, FieldWise™ exists to enhance the field readiness of behavioral health clinicians working in co-response, mobile crisis, and public safety environments.
Through competency-based education, continuing professional development, and evidence-informed training, FieldWise™ equips clinicians with the specialized knowledge, clinical judgment, and practical skills needed to respond confidently, ethically, and effectively in the field. Our curriculum extends beyond traditional graduate education by integrating crisis intervention, tactical empathy, interdisciplinary collaboration, legal and ethical decision-making, cultural responsiveness, nervous system science, and operational readiness into one comprehensive learning experience.
FieldWise™ is more than a training program—it is a commitment to the professionalization of co-response. Our vision is to establish a nationally recognized standard for clinician preparation, support lifelong learning, and create future pathways for advanced specialty recognition in co-response practice. By investing in clinicians, we strengthen partnerships, elevate standards of care, and improve outcomes for the communities we serve.
Our Purpose
The purpose of FieldWise™ is to enhance the field readiness of co-response clinicians by providing a comprehensive, competency-based educational framework that prepares clinicians to work confidently, ethically, and effectively within interdisciplinary public safety environments.
FieldWise™ recognizes that co-response is more than an extension of traditional behavioral health practice—it is a specialized clinical discipline requiring advanced knowledge, practical skills, operational awareness, and ongoing professional development.
Just as clinicians pursue post-graduate specialization through credentials such as the Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC), forensic certifications, or grief counseling certifications, FieldWise™ envisions a future in which co-response is recognized as its own area of advanced clinical specialization.
Field readiness extends beyond academic knowledge. It is the ability to translate clinical expertise into effective action within dynamic, unpredictable, and high-acuity environments.
A field-ready co-response clinician demonstrates sound clinical judgment while maintaining professionalism, ethical integrity, situational awareness, and compassionate engagement under pressure.
Field readiness requires the integration of clinical expertise, operational awareness, interdisciplinary collaboration, legal knowledge, cultural humility, and emotional resilience.
What Is Field Readiness?
To enhance the field readiness of co-response clinicians by developing the knowledge, skills, judgment, and professional competencies necessary to provide safe, ethical, evidence-informed, and culturally responsive behavioral health services in partnership with public safety agencies.
Our Mission
FieldWise™ represents the educational foundation for the future of the co-response profession.
Our long-term goals include:
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Establishing nationally recognized competency standards for co-response clinicians.
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Providing continuing education approved for professional licensure renewal.
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Developing specialty certificate programs and advanced practice endorsements.
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Supporting instructor development and clinical supervision.
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Advancing research and evidence-informed best practices.
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Partnering with universities, behavioral health agencies, and public safety organizations.
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Supporting the development of a voluntary specialty certification pathway for co-response clinicians.
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Contributing to the proposed Co-Response Practice Act, establishing a framework for professional recognition, competency development, and sustainable workforce advancement.
Long-Term Vision
Our Commitment
FieldWise™ is committed to strengthening the profession—not by replacing existing education or partnerships, but by building upon them.
We believe that clinicians who are prepared for the realities of field-based practice provide safer, more effective, and more compassionate care. By investing in education, competency, and professional identity, we strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, elevate clinical excellence, and improve outcomes for the individuals, families, and communities we serve.
Educational Philosophy
FieldWise™ believes competency develops through the integration of knowledge, practice, reflection, supervision, and continued professional growth.
Learning extends beyond lectures through case studies, scenario-based exercises, skills demonstrations, ethical discussions, interdisciplinary collaboration, and applied field experiences. This approach mirrors other advanced professional specialties that combine foundational licensure with specialized post-graduate competency development.