Yoko Zhu
In the front seat of a Belmont Police cruiser, Emily Bartlett seems more approachable than her uniformed co-workers. She carries no service weapons and she wears plain clothes, an embroidered quarter-zip fleece and a winter jacket that says “clinician.”
Her job, as Belmont’s sole co-response clinician, is to accompany officers on calls, and help them de-escalate situations in the field. The goal is to have fewer arrests and emergency room visits, a practice known as diversion.
“It’s a great opportunity to allow the police to do their job while allowing me, as someone who’s trained in mental health, to support people in that scene,” Bartlett said.
Bartlett says she helped officers prevent 22 arrests and 25 hospital visits in June, July, and August. Information for the rest of the year isn’t yet available.
“The program is probably one of the best and has the greatest benefit of any program that I’ve been involved with over my 25-year career,” Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac said.
Officer Kristine Pugliese said Bartlett has more training in dealing with mental health crises than a police officer.
“With Emily, she can evaluate them further and determine what care they need,” Pugliese said. “She’s trained at a higher level with mental health calls and brings years of experience that is invaluable to our community.”
A typical day starts for Bartlett with officers updating her on what she might’ve missed while off the clock. She reviews the reports and drafts a plan to follow up on those incidents.
When there are no follow-ups, Bartlett rides along with officers on calls. She says her calls are split between things such as family conflicts, homelessness, and helping people deal with mental health. Her methodology is “to listen to what people say on the scene” and “meet their needs with the end goal of getting help.”
Her role is tailored to the scenario. She has distracted kids while their parents filled out paperwork and talked families through distressing situations while waiting for paramedics.
While Bartlett works full-time with Belmont police, she is actually an employee of an organization called Advocates, which collaborates with 28 Massachusetts law enforcement agencies. According to the Advocates website, its Co-Response Jail Diversion Program helps 75% of individuals presenting with criminal behavior avoid arrest and get treatment.
Bartlett, who graduated with a master’s degree in social work with an emphasis on mental health and trauma, began working with Advocates in the psychiatric emergency services area. She went to hospitals, assisted police, and visited peoples’ homes to complete psychiatric evaluations for a year and a half, before coming to work in Belmont.
MacIsaac said the town has so many cases, it is close to needing a second clinician. He said one challenge of the program is that “there’s not enough clinicians lined up.”
On days when Bartlett is unavailable, officers can contact Advocates clinicians for support over the phone or out on the scene.
“I believe that there is a partnership between police and social workers that is fundamental to providing the best care to the residents,” Bartlett said. “It is a team effort that works to create change and help those in need.”
