WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES: Co-response program pairs social workers, police

Jessie Stensland reports:

[Island County Sheriff Rick Felici] is optimistic about a new program in which mental health professionals with Human Services co-respond with law enforcement, which is to say they are embedded in the sheriff’s and Oak Harbor Police departments and either go along on calls or follow up on officers’ referrals.

They Said It

But as Island County Sheriff Rick Felici explains, there is a growing awareness in the state and across the nation that law enforcement should take a more holistic, interagency approach in dealing with the mental health crisis.

The sheriff is optimistic about a new program in which mental health professionals with Human Services co-respond with law enforcement, which is to say they are embedded in the sheriff’s and Oak Harbor Police departments and either go along on calls or follow up on officers’ referrals.…

Felici said that the criminal justice system is usually not the best place for people with mental health or substance abuse disorders, but it is too often the fallback when other services — especially beds in therapeutic facilities — simply aren’t available….

Felici said having mental health professionals working out of the offices with law enforcement has a number of benefits, including better communication and an increased understanding among officers about what resources are available. The program helps to dispel some of the preconceived notions between law enforcement and social workers, he added.

Felici said a successful program will decrease 911 calls, decrease the risk of violence in the community, save money by keeping people out of the law and justice system and, more importantly, change people’s lives for the better.