LIVONIA, Mich. – Social workers will be sent out with Livonia police officers when officers are responding to a mental health crisis call through a new Crisis Support Team.
“We’re going to have two social workers in our police department to assist us with handling mental health crisis runs where people are in crisis and they need our help and they need the public’s help,” Livonia police Captain Tom Goralski said.
The program has been in the works for a while, but Goralski said it is needed now more than ever.
“Livonia has experienced an increase in mental health crisis runs. Currently, we’re getting over 50 runs a month,” Goralski said.
Livonia Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan said she understands the need for the partnership.
“It takes a different skill set in order to really supply the community. The service it needs to take care of people. Putting a Crisis Support Team, in that has social workers embedded in our police department, addresses better than ever before the needs, the mental health needs of our community,” Brosnan said.