In an effort to bring services directly to those who need them in a moment of crisis — and ideally divert people from jails or unnecessary hospital transport — three local police departments have formed a regional collaboration with Clinical & Support Options (CSO).
As part of the pilot program, which is funded by CSO, licensed clinician Kaitlin Richotte has been assigned to the Greenfield, Deerfield and Montague police departments. In her role, she responds to calls with officers and serves as an immediate contact to individuals who may be in need of mental health or other social services. She is not, however, an employee of the police departments.
“Having a clinician who is … an employee of an emergency services program allows better communication about what’s going on with the individual,” said Jen LaRoche, vice president of acute and day programs at CSO. “(It’s) putting a name to the face, as opposed to just saying, ‘Call this number,’ because nine times out of 10, people aren’t going to pick up the phone.”
The new program, which is based on similar models throughout the state, grew out of years of conversations between Greenfield Police Department and CSO, according to LaRoche.
“Truth be told, this has been a conversation going on between the Greenfield Police Department and CSO Crisis going back six years,” LaRoche said, noting that it began with former Deputy Chief Mark Williams. “Then, I came on board in June of last year and Mark Williams reached out to me and asked if we could restart these conversations.”
At the time, there was a concern as to whether there was enough volume of mental health-related calls to institute a co-response between the police department and CSO. But further conversations, which expanded to include members of the Deerfield and Montague police departments “made it clear there was enough volume,” LaRoche said.
“It is a data-driven program — looking at volume of calls, time of day calls come,” she said. “That solidified the plan that we would have this regional model and work from that perspective.”
Richotte, 27, who has been in the role since late May, graduated from Westfield State University in 2019 with a master’s degree in mental health counseling and focus on forensic mental health.
“When people would ask me what my dream job was, I would describe this,” said Richotte. “I think I’m very fortunate to be in this position.”
On any given day, Richotte could be visiting homeless encampments, responding to calls for individuals in the middle of a severe mental health crisis, or handling follow-up checks on people she previously interacted with.
“I’m not only there for the person, I can be there for the family,” she said.
Greenfield Deputy Police Chief William Gordon, who has been involved in getting the program off the ground, said it’s “another tool in our toolbox.”
“For police officers to go to a situation doesn’t mean we’re always the expert,” Gordon said. “In cases of mental health crises, we’re definitely not the expert, but people call us anyway. We have to respond and make sure everybody is safe.”
And that’s how he sees the role of police officers versus the role of clinicians in those scenarios.
“The police, instead of being the primary resource, is more of a backup plan,” Gordon said. “We’re going and saying, ‘You handle it; we’re behind you and we’ll protect you, but this is your thing.’”
Richotte said it’s a system of trust that has to go both ways.
“I think there was probably some worry that I would come in here and tornado (the department),” she said. “I’m … not trying to step on any toes. I respect the work they do; I trust the work they do. When I’m with them, I trust they’re not only maintaining their safety, they’re maintaining my safety.”
She added that even in the few weeks she’s been with the department, officers are starting to see the ways in which she can be a resource.
“They’ve come to me and said, ‘Hey, can you talk with this person, or check in on them?’” Richotte said.
Gordon said although it’s natural to be resistant to change, his department is largely excited about the program. And while he acknowledges the change was in part a result of nationwide calls for police reform, he credits the smooth transition to the “groundwork” that was put in years before the program came to fruition.
“The officers are very excited to be able to bring the resource to the field and show them what we’re seeing on a day-to-day level,” he said. “We’re seeing a situation from a law enforcement perspective; the clinician is seeing it from a different light.”
Gordon said the department is working on forming similar partnerships with agencies all across the county.
“We’ll bring the masters to you,” he said.
He noted that prior to this program, the department often worked — though not nearly as closely — with CSO, primarily when its staff called police for help with a particular situation.
“We’ve known for many years it’s probably a great partnership, but now the police are reaching out to us,” LaRoche said. “And really, that’s the way it should be.”
LaRoche and Gordon noted that, thanks to a new grant from the state Department of Mental Health, the program will be able to expand to include additional clinicians to support the work done by Richotte.
Gordon said the aim is to have additional clinicians hired by September, with the goal of increasing the current 40 hours of weekday coverage to roughly 16 hours of daily coverage, seven days per week.
“This is … helping people at the time they need help, not in offices,” he said. “What better way of helping people then to go to them.”
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.