From Practice to Leadership

Sarah's work in Co-Response began in Framingham, Massachusetts, where she helped develop the Jail Diversion Program in 2003 and spent years working alongside police officers responding directly to behavioral health crises.

That experience shaped an approach that remains central to her work today: crisis-response programs have to work not only in theory, but in the realities of police departments, behavioral health systems, dispatch centers, and communities.

Over the past two decades, her work has expanded to program development, training, evaluation, technical assistance, and consultation with agencies across the United States and internationally.

About Sarah Abbott

Dr. Sarah Abbott has worked in Crisis and Co-Response since 2003, when she helped develop and launch the Framingham Jail Diversion Program, Massachusetts' first police-based Co-Response program.

Since then, her work has expanded from direct crisis response and program leadership to helping law enforcement agencies, behavioral health organizations, and communities develop practical, sustainable approaches to behavioral health crisis response.

Through Abbott Solutions for Justice, she brings that experience directly to agencies working to build new programs, strengthen existing ones, and support the professionals doing this work.

Experience and Credentials

20+ Years
Leading and advancing Co-Response and behavioral health crisis response.