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Lake County police social worker program records major milestone in response to mental health-related calls

A team consisting of multiple Lake County police departments and social workers helping with crisis outreach has hit a “major milestone” by reaching its 5,000th request for service. The Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COaST) hit the milestone last month, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Since the inception of the program in 2018, […]

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Officials tout success of police social worker program in McHenry County year after launch

Officials say the police social worker program in McHenry County is making a difference and changing lives for the better following the program’s first year in operation. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office created a police social worker program in 2017 to alleviate their office’s responses to mental health-related calls for service. The sheriff’s office expanded […]

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‘Lives have undoubtedly been saved’: Lake County police social worker program records successful first year

A newly-created team consisting of multiple Lake County police departments and social workers helping with crisis outreach handled over 1,000 requests in its first year. The multi-agency Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COaST) initiative launched in January 2022. It consists of members from the Gurnee Police Department, Lake Forest Police Department, Libertyville Police Department, Lincolnshire […]

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McHenry County Sheriff’s Office officially launches countywide police social worker program

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office has launched a new program with 17 local police departments to have social workers respond alongside officers to certain calls involving mental health crises. The program was kicked off during an event at The Community Foundation for McHenry County in Crystal Lake on Tuesday. In attendance were stakeholders, participating agencies […]

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‘Groundbreaking initiative’: 7 Lake County police departments partner together to have social workers respond to mental health calls

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced a new pilot program with six other police departments in Lake County that will pair social workers with officers when responding to mental-health calls. The Gurnee Police Department, Lake Forest Police Department, Libertyville Police Department, Lincolnshire Police Department, Mundelein Police Department, Vernon Hills Police Department and the Lake County […]

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‘Groundbreaking program’: McHenry County creates countywide police social worker program

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with local police departments to have social workers respond alongside officers to certain calls involving mental health crises. Officials called it a “groundbreaking program,” which was developed in cooperation with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, the McHenry County Board, and the McHenry County Mental Health Board. It will […]