ROWLEY — The Rowley, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland and Newbury police departments recently announced the first round of their behavioral health training, in accordance with the newly funded Component Jail Diversion Program, was a success.
The departments were awarded funding through the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health/Jail Arrest Diversion Grant Program to hire a jail diversion clinician to work with each department and provide increased behavioral health training.
The first round of 22 trainees from the five departments successfully completed training on Tuesday, Nov. 22, and are now certified in mental health first aid.
This training includes:overviews of common mental health and substance use disorders; how to recognize common risk factors and warning signs; crisis diffusion and follow-up tactics; affirming and reassurance tactics; and how to encourage appropriate help.
Training is being used to increase citizen and officer safety; increase the services available to community members; decrease unnecessary arrests; decrease undue stress on the emergency services system; and successfully divert behavioral health patients to treatment or connection to services as needed.
