The city of Roseville will add mental health outreach workers to serve alongside police to address the growing need for crisis response services as part of a partnership with a nonprofit approved Monday.
Roseville Police Chief Erica Scheider explained her partnership with mental health nonprofit People Incorporated ahead of Monday night’s council vote. In his post-crisis follow-up, he said there was a gap in what police officers and social service workers could fill.
Scheider said before the council’s vote, “Many people are at stake and it will be a revolving door for them to stabilize, but without subsequent support they could quickly fall into crisis.” “That’s what we’re trying to prevent, so we can get people proactively out into the community instead of just having the police respond.”
The deal was passed unanimously after city councilors Robin Schroeder and Julie Strahan also spoke out in support of the plan.
“We are very lucky to have these tools that help us move into different ways of dealing with people and consider what each individual needs,” Strahan said. increase.
The deal provides funding for a two-year pilot period for full-time outreach workers provided by People Incorporated, according to a congressional call to action prepared by Scheider.
Half of the funding ($50,000 per year over two years) will come from People Incorporated, and the Roseville Police Department will attempt to use American Rescue Plan funds for the remaining salary (not to exceed $50,000 per year).
Mayor Dan Lo said the city won’t have to fund the position again after two years, but will evaluate whether it’s worth continuing at the end.
Roseville, like many cities in the United States, has seen a surge in the need for mental health services over the past decade. Since 2020, he has seen a 50% increase in calls for mental health-related issues at the Roseville Police Department, according to the request.
The city recently added other positions to strengthen its response during mental health crises.
In 2021, the council approved a three-year partnership with Ramsey County to place two county social workers in police departments.
Scheider told Congress that county social workers will go out and focus on the field when someone is in crisis, and new outreach workers will respond in the days or weeks after a crisis and provide additional resources. I explained that it connects to
At the conclusion of the pilots in both People Incorporated and Ramsey County in 2025, police will assess future community needs, the request said.
