(Image provided by the Appleton Police Department)
Appleton Police officers can now help serve people’s mental health needs during emergency calls.
That’s part of a two-year pilot program between the Appleton Police Department and the Outagamie County Health and Human Services Department. Clinical Therapist Sarah Peterson works with the police department as part of the Community Crisis Response Team. Appleton Lieutenant Meghan Cash says the program is designed to connect people with the help they need without feeling like they’ve broken the law.
She feels the short term goal is to reduce police involvement in crisis situations so people can be assessed in their homes and services can be provided more quickly.
This marks the first time the Appleton Police Department has had a clinical therapist for direct aid referrals.
