Association of Co-Response Clinicians
Built by Clinicians. Guided by Ethics. Focused on Trust.
Alise Nichols, LCSW, LAC
Founder & Executive Director
Hi, I’m Alise.
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Addiction Counselor, although getting here was definitely not part of some perfectly organized career plan. I actually started my career in medicine. I began college at Front Range Community College before transferring to the Community College of Aurora, where I earned my Associate of Science degree. By then, I had spent about 12 years working in doctors’ offices and medical settings as a medical assistant, phlebotomist, and laboratory technician. I was convinced I was eventually going to nursing school or PA school.
And then one day I had the mildly inconvenient realization: I don’t think I actually want to do this. So…that required a new plan.
What I eventually realized was that the part of healthcare I loved most wasn’t necessarily the medical stuff—it was the people stuff- although I do miss wound care and drawing blood- I wanted to understand why people do what they do, how trauma changes us, why some people can access help while others repeatedly fall through the cracks, and how things like relationships, substance use, poverty, identity, discrimination, and our environments affect our health.
That realization led me to Metropolitan State University of Denver, where I studied Human Services with a concentration in Mental Health Counseling. Apparently, I liked it enough to stick around, because I went on to earn my Master of Social Work from MSU Denver as well. I later completed additional education and training in substance use treatment and became a Licensed Addiction Counselor. As it turns out, those 12 years in medicine weren’t a detour after all.
My medical background continues to influence the way I practice today. I’m fascinated by the connection between the brain, body, trauma, substance use, medications, and the nervous system. I’m also a big believer in explaining this stuff in normal human language. Therapy shouldn’t require you to have your own clinical dictionary. I want my clients to understand why something may be happening—not just hear that they need to “use their coping skills.”
Over the years, I’ve worked in substance use treatment programs, community mental health, crisis intervention, and co-response. I’ve had the privilege of working with people experiencing addiction, mental health crises, trauma, homelessness, justice-system involvement, and situations that generally fall into the professional category of “there is a lot going on right now.” And, truthfully, those are often the people and situations I enjoy working with most.
I eventually found my way into co-response because I wanted to use my clinical skills in the community without spending my entire life behind a desk. Working alongside law enforcement, fire and emergency responders, and community partners turned out to be a pretty great fit. I love collaboration, problem-solving, and figuring out what might actually help when someone’s life doesn’t fit neatly into a checkbox on a form.
Social justice is also inseparable from the way I practice. I have spent much of my career working with people who are historically marginalized or underserved, including Black and Brown communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, justice-involved individuals, people with substance use disorders, and individuals and families navigating financial and systemic barriers.
I don’t believe we can talk meaningfully about mental health without also talking about the environments and systems people are trying to survive in. That includes talking about body size. I am passionate about challenging anti-fat bias, weight stigma, and size discrimination—particularly within healthcare and behavioral health settings, where those biases can have very real consequences. My advocacy has even made its way into the legislative world, including contributing language related to weight discrimination during Colorado’s 2023 legislative session. So yes, occasionally my social-work soapbox comes out. I try to use it responsibly.
CRT Clinician: A snapshot in the field.
Alise being interviewed about the incident that lead to the creation of the ACRC
Through ACRC, all of these pieces of my professional life come together: medicine, mental health, addiction treatment, crisis work, co-response, social justice, advocacy, and my deeply held belief that people are considerably more complicated than their diagnoses. I don’t see myself as the expert on someone else’s life. I know therapy. I know behavioral health. I know addiction. I know crisis. I know a fair amount about brains, bodies, systems, and what happens when all of those things collide. You know you.
At the center of my work is a pretty simple belief: people deserve dignity, especially when life is complicated. I want people to leave our work together understanding themselves a little better, carrying a little less shame, and having practical tools they can actually use outside of my office.
And because I regularly tell other people that self-care matters, I should probably practice what I preach. Outside of work, you’ll find me doing CrossFit, going to my own therapy and clinical supervision, listening to podcasts, crafting—paper quilling is a favorite—and consuming an arguably unnecessary amount of true crime and coffee. And I take my nails seriously. Very seriously. Because apparently my version of balance is processing trauma, lifting heavy things, making tiny pieces of paper into art, listening to stories about murder, and making sure my manicure survives all of it. It works for me.
Hello there, I am Alex-
I am a Bachelor of Social Work (BSSW) student at Metropolitan State University of Denver, with plans to continue my education by pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSW). I am also a CCAR-trained Recovery Coach, and my background in health and wellness, community engagement, and working alongside diverse populations has shaped both my professional path and the kind of social worker I hope to become.
I am deeply passionate about mental health, behavioral health advocacy, and creating meaningful systemic change. I am especially drawn to working with individuals who are too often misunderstood, stigmatized, or overlooked—including people experiencing mental illness, individuals involved in the criminal justice system, people navigating recovery, those experiencing homelessness, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. I believe compassionate care begins with seeing the person before the diagnosis, circumstance, or label, and I hope to contribute to systems that treat people with dignity, respect, and humanity.
As the Projects and Communications Coordinator for the Association of Co-Response Clinicians (ACRC), I have the opportunity to bring these values into my work by supporting organizational communications, educational initiatives, and advocacy efforts that advance ethical and evidence-informed co-response practices. My role with ACRC has also given me the opportunity to deepen my understanding of behavioral health systems and the intersection of mental health, crisis response, and public safety.
As I continue growing as a social work professional, I hope to use my education, lived and professional experiences, and commitment to advocacy to help build more compassionate, equitable, and effective systems of care—particularly for people whose voices and experiences have historically been marginalized.
Alex Spangler
Project Manager & Communications Coordinator
Alex is unstoppable at the gym. Whether they are training someone or practicing their craft-Alex has proven the healing and connection potential in fitness.
Alex works with people at all level of fitness and has worked towards making fitness accessible to all body, shapes, sizes, and ages.
Together Alise and Alex remain committed to improving the recognition of the Co-Response Clinician in statute and protect the future of the Co-Response Service Model.
Meet the Team
We are small but mighty! ACRC is currently being run by two people with a stead fast commitment to the Co-Response Clinician and protecting the Co-Response model of service.
Alise Nichols, LCSW, LAC- Founder and Executive Director
Alex Spangler, Project Manager and Communication Coordinator