This week’s photo of the week comes from Lowell, Massachusetts, where a partnership is bringing mental health expertise directly to the scene of police calls. Co-response clinician Skyla Insogna, of Advocates, works alongside Lowell Police Department Officer Christian Pimentel to respond to behavioral health crises, providing on-the-spot intervention and connecting individuals to the resources they need.
“I think it’s important for individuals to recognize that, yes, we come along with police officers, but we are civilians. We’re in normal clothes and we’re here to have human-to-human conversations,” said Insogna. “There is help out there in ways that the Lowell Police Department and I can offer to support individuals to feel guided in the right direction of resources.”
The Lowell Police Department’s co-response program pairs masters-level clinicians with officers to handle mental health-related calls in real time. Since launching in 2021 with funding from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and the U.S. Department of Justice, the program has conducted over 1,400 interventions, diverting hundreds of individuals from unnecessary hospital visits and arrests. In 2024 alone, the team has facilitated 60 emergency department diversions and 17 arrest diversions, saving the city an estimated $253,000. Advocates has embedded 16 clinicians in 23 police departments across Middlesex and Worcester counties, helping communities address behavioral health needs while reducing strain on public safety resources.
“Our co-response program is hugely important, as it provides those facing behavioral health issues with a lifeline that they can access without visiting a hospital emergency department or facing involuntary commitment. The program is also an invaluable tool to all of our officers,” said Lowell PD Superintendent Greg Hudon. “In addition to this program, we’re also providing all of our officers Rewire 4 trauma-informed mental health training, and getting 20% of our officers more intensive Crisis Intervention Team training. Responding professionally and compassionately to those facing behavioral health challenges and crises is one of the most important jobs of the Lowell Police Department.”
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