A new pilot program to address gaps in services to those experiencing mental health issues will launch on Monday. The Co-Responder Pilot Program was developed between the Sheboygan Police Department and the Sheboygan County Division of Behavioral Health.
The Manager of that department, Jaclyn Moglowsky, said that the program embeds mental health staff within the Sheboygan Police Department. Those workers were contracted by the County from Elevate, Inc., which offers prevention, intervention and support services to Washington, Waukesha, Sheboygan and Dodge Counties. Using city and county funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, staff has been training for the past four weeks, and beginning on Monday, will respond to calls with officers and do community outreach to those needing services. The program doesn’t replace the Crisis Response Services now in place, but rather hopes to reach people before they need that crisis response.
Maglowsky explained that navigating mental health-related services can be difficult and frustrating, especially for those under stress. She said that having workers in the community should ease that process and reduce the numbers that end up in either a hospital emergency room or in the criminal justice system.
