The Harrisonburg Police Department will add two mental health positions to its staff to support officers and those facing a crisis.
The department announced today that it has created two new jobs: a licensed clinician and a qualified mental health professional.
The plan is for the co-responders to join officers on calls for service where mental health may be a factor to assess the needs of the individuals in crisis.
The HPD also plans to do more training among its officers on mental-health response and crisis intervention.
Mental health objectives in Harrisonburg
- Expand field-based assessment to better connect individuals to community-based mental health, substance use and other support services
- Increase follow-up with individuals released from the crisis assessment center, hospitals or jails
- Increase Crisis Intervention Team refresher and advanced topics training among HPD officers
- Expand data tracking, coordination, and utilization across regional justice and mental health partners
The positions are funded by a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Applications for the licensed clinician co-responder are now open and can be found at www.harrisonburgva.gov
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Crystal Graham
