Dover Police launch behavioral health unit

The Dover Police Division is the newest First State police division with a behavioral well being unit.

Dover joins Smyrna and Milford Police in including the unit to its police pressure.

Dover PD public info officer Sgt. Mark Hoffman explains how its unit is ready up, “So the Behavioral Unit companions two sworn officers – who’re officers who volunteered for this program – with two psychological well being clinician companions which are contracted with Dover Behavioral Well being system. And so they experience with the officers throughout their shifts and we have now protection twelve months a 12 months – as a result of the officers and the clinicians alternate days – working days – so we keep fixed protection.” 

Hoffman says the officers and the clinicians have been responding to calls since mid-Might – concentrating on behavioral well being points officers encounter. The clinicians additionally act as a sufferer’s advocate when wanted.

“The first duty of the Behavioral Well being Unit is to offer a chance for anybody affected by a psychological well being or substance abuse-related challenge or the prospect to be linked with providers to assist them,” Hoffman stated. That’s it principally in a nutshell. Most of the time, police are the primary to answer a disturbance or prison incident which may be the results of a behavioral health-related challenge.”

This system is funded by way of grants from the Prison Justice Council and the State of Delaware.

And the College of Delaware offered the identical software program program it gave New Fortress County Police for his or her Hero Assist initiative, which gives dependancy remedy as a substitute for drug arrests in some circumstances.

Sgt. Hoffman says if this system is profitable, extra officers may very well be added and extra clinicians employed.