Some people have called 911 after a loved one overdosed. Some suffer from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Still others asked for help convincing teens to go to school.
Regardless of the situation, the Bloomington Police Department has a new goal. That means making a therapy appointment within a day or two of reporting.
“I’m not aware of any other agency in the country that does something like this,” Police Chief Booker Hodges said.
Some departments stepped up collaboration with social workers after the 2020 killing of George Floyd sparked an international debate on police enforcement. Other cities, such as Minneapolis, contract with community groups to send mental health professionals to some 911 calls.
The Bloomington Police Department has hired two certified marriage and family therapists to meet with people for free at their homes, local government centers or by telehealth appointment. Since then, we have welcomed two interns from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota to strengthen the department and provide students with the clinical hours they need to graduate. Therapists work to stabilize people in crisis, with the goal of providing long-term treatment if needed.
“When someone is in crisis, you have to strike while the iron is hot to get them into services,” said Luke Campbell, a therapist who oversees Bloomington Regional Brain Health Services.
But doing that was often easier said than done. The city estimates that 4,200 residents are uninsured, and even those who do have insurance often tell police they wait eight to 10 weeks to see a therapist.
During the first seven months of the pilot program, therapists received 44 referrals from police officers, social workers already working with police officers, or local schools. The program is intended as a short-term solution to help people until long-term treatment can begin.
