MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Police in towns throughout McHenry County are going to have a new resource when it comes to 911 calls that involve someone having a mental crisis.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is starting a Police Social Work Program that will benefit police departments throughout the county.
County Coordinator Chalen Daigle said the sheriff’s office currently has its own social worker who responds to incidents in unincorporated areas.
Now, the sheriff’s office will hire and pay for six social workers to be available to handle mental health issues that municipal police are initially called to throughout the county.
“The social workers would be assigned to a certain area so they would be able to get to that situation fairly quickly and help calm or provide assistance where the police officer may not have been able to do so.”
Daigle said the social workers would also do follow-up calls, as well.
“The social worker can provide resources for that person having the crisis to have some follow-up resources and then, even go so far check in on that person or their family after the incident just to make sure that they’re continuing to seek out the services that they might need.”
Daigle also said that officials are excited about the program and would not cost municipal police anything. “This would provide in real time, help for the person that’s having the crisis and get them the services they need.”
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