Please Support Local Advertisers
ROWLEY — A new jail-diversion clinician will be on call in five towns to help police with potential mental health crises.
Clinician Robin Reid’s position was funded by a grant the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Jail/Arrest Diversion Grant Program.
Reid will assist Rowley, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, and Newbury police departments.
Her position was made possible in collaboration with Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services.
Reid will assist in co-response for behavioral health calls, perform brief assessments to determine appropriate service connections, facilitate diversion from arrest where appropriate, and assist in increasing competencies within the police departments, according to a joint statement from the departments.
Police also received additional funding to provide increased behavioral health training to members of each of the five departments.
They hope it will increase citizen and officer safety, services available to community members, and decrease unnecessary arrests and undue stress on the emergency services system.
Reid will work one day a week in each of her five towns: Rowley on Mondays, Boxford on Tuesdays, Groveland on Wednesdays, Georgetown on Thursdays, and Newbury on Fridays.
However, “She is expected to break free to assist with any behavioral health crisis that occurs within the five partner communities,” police said.
On her assigned community day, she will be available to the public and will be making follow-up visits with residents who may benefit from her services.
