Mental Health Workers Aid Police (Aired July 25, 2021)

Behavior specialist Linwood Burke and mental health intensive care manager Lashaveous Dicker, now both aiding police in dealing with situations where strong emotions or mental-health issue are involved, are the workers assigned by Mental Health America of Dutchess County (MHA) to help handle these dicey calls. Mr. Dicker is on every call that Beacon Police make, while Mr. Burke travels with the police detail when mental-health issues are involved, and he also holds community workshops with the police. The MHA staff are in civilian clothes with a vest identifying them as mental-health auxiliaries so that people nervous about the police can relax. The program has been deemed a success, with the MHA staff able to get a troubled perpetrator to drop his knife and to persuade reluctant mentally ill to go to the hospital. Burke and Dicker are trained in techniques to help de-escalate conflicts.

Learn more:

Mental Health America of Dutchess County: https://mhadutchess.org/

Poughkeepsie Police Add Mental Health Worker: https://midhudsonnews.com/2020/08/27/poughkeepsie-police-add-mental-health-worker/

Beacon Police Add Mental Health Worker: https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2021/04/05/beacon-adds-mental-health-specialist-police-department/7084167002/

City of Poughkeepsie Police Department: https://cityofpoughkeepsie.com/police-department/

Beacon, NY, Police Department: https://www.beaconny.gov/index.php/departments/police/

CATEGORIES

Domestic Violence

Homelessness

Mental Health

Service Organizations

Words for Search

Police, mental health, de-escalation

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