Social workers to assist Washington County law enforcement with mental, chemical health calls

Washington County will see the addition of social workers to help law enforcement respond to mental health or chemical health calls.

On Tuesday, the Washington County Board of Commissioner approved the addition of two social workers to the county’s staff to assist the sheriff’s office and Woodbury Police Department when responding to calls that may involve those with mental illness or chemical health needs.

The new employees will work within what is called a co-response model.

According to the Washington County Board of Commissioners, a co-response model typically consists of law enforcement personnel and mental health professionals working together to respond to calls involving mental health or chemical health needs. It’s in an effort to provide a real-time response to an active crisis situation or a follow-up contact/case management service after an incident.