Police departments involved with Hennepin County's embedded social worker program are able to refer individuals to social workers who then allocate the appropriate resources in an expanded program Sheriff Dave Hutchinson presented on Tuesday in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
Jessica Angelus is a social worker embedded in the Minnetonka and Plymouth police departments and is called by police when they are dealing with individuals experiencing mental health crises or substance abuse issues.
“Officers sometimes aren't sure what to do in these situations and so that's where I can jump in and figure out what steps the person needs to take to reduce their symptoms,” says Angelus.
Angelus says the program is another way to fill holes in the system, specifically when people are dealing with mental health symptoms and police are involved. For instance, she is able to better connect people with housing and food support, along with rental assistance.
“But I can also look them up with therapy and psychiatry and case management, which is the service that helps people keep all those services straight,” Angelus tells WCCO’s Mark Freie.
Expanding the embedded social worker program to more police departments in Hennepin County comes amidst a nationwide push by police departments hoping to find more effective ways to respond to calls involving people in crisis.
Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson says law enforcement is an evolving profession and police evolution is what the community wants and needs.
“The embedded social worker program does work and is going to work,” says Hutchinson. “The police, Sheriff's Deputies, we can't do it all. We need help. We're asking for help.”
Hutchinson says dwindling police numbers and efforts to defund police are hampering law enforcement's ability to address not only mental health, but the violent crime epidemic in Hennepin County. Hutchinson believes more universal support for the embedded social worker program and police in general will have immediate impacts elsewhere.
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“Our resources and law enforcement can then go after violent criminals, people shooting in our streets, hurting our children,” says Sheriff Hutchinson. “And again, people addicted people suffering from mental health crisis aren't criminals. They need our help, they need to be given again treatment, not put in jail cells.”
Last year, as part of the embedded social workers program, Hennepin County social workers engaged over 1,700 people across 12 cities.
With Tuesday’s announced expansion, 21 Hennepin County Cities will be part of the embedded Social worker program by early next year.
With the 2022 expansion to 7 new departments, this program will employ 12 social workers, embedded across 21 police departments, 911 dispatch, and group homes, serving 29 cities across Hennepin County.
In 2020 social workers engaged over 1,700 people across 12 cities. While a significant number of people were connected to mental health supports, many needed help across a wide range of human services like housing and economic support.
Cities served by the embedded social worker program:
2019
Brooklyn Park: 1 embedded SW
Plymouth/Minnetonka: 1 embedded SW
St. Louis Park/Hopkins: 1 embedded SW
Bloomington: 2 embedded SW
2020-2021
Brooklyn Center: 1 embedded SW
Crystal/New Hope/Robbinsdale: 1 embedded SW
Edina/Richfield: 1 embedded SW
U of MN police department: 1 embedded SW
2022 Expansion (anticipated)
Minnetrista
Shorewood
Excelsior
Tonka Bay
Greenwood
Deephaven
Wayzata
Medina
Corcoran
Orono
Spring Park
Mound
St. Bonifacius
Long Lake
Minnetonka Beach
Woodland