Mission Statement: The Metro Boston Crisis Intervention Team Training and Technical Assistance Center utilizes an integrated public health and public safety lens to inform response to individuals impacted by behavioral health, support officer wellness, develop policy and procedure and improve communication across behavioral health and criminal justice partners.
Through training, guidance on CIT implementation and adaptation of Police records management systems we aim to increase utilization of behavioral health resources, increase data collection and establish best practice interventions.
Our training and models are developed with a multidisciplinary approach informed by collaborations between: law enforcement, mental health professionals, stakeholders, families and individuals impacted by behavioral health. Together we will: increase safety for officers and citizens; inform response to direct and facilitate connection toward services with a goal of increasing quality of life and diversion from the criminal justice system when appropriate.
COHR CELEBRATES DIVERSITY!
The Somerville Police Department and the Community Outreach, Help & Recovery (COHR) Unit celebrates diversity with SomerViva: Office of Immigrant Affairs!
On Monday, January 13, 2025, several members of the COHR Unit, Dispatcher Joan McKenna and Captain Sean Sheehan of the Somerville Police Department met with Yi Lam, Chinese Services Coordinator, and Senior community members at the Ralph & Jenny Center during a monthly Asian Tea Party Session. Residents had an opportunity to learn more about what happens when you call 911 and language capacity at the Department. COHR also provided information on resources available to Somerville residents through the Unit.
SomerViva em Portuguese! COHR Unit Director Jennifer Korn and Jail Diversion Clinician Maria Theresa Queiroz also sat down with Rafael Peruzzo, Portuguese Service Coordinator on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 to highlight language capacity within the Unit and talk about what COHR is and the free services available including assessment, referrals, jail diversion and trainings. Connecting with residents following a police call for service, COHR is a low bar access clinical program located within the police department that partners with several agencies across the City to identify individuals in crisis and connect them with appropriate services.
The Somerville Police Department is fortunate to have several officers and staff who are bilingual in over ten languages responding to calls for service. Through our partnership with SomerViva, the Department, including COHR has access to interpretation services provided through LionBridge. To learn more about COHR visit: https://www.metrobostoncit.org/contact
Watch the full Video on Somerville GovTV below:
COHR presents at the 3rd Annual National Conference on Police Social Work!
On May 24th 2024, Patricia Contente, Jennifer Korn, and Sabrina Ozit from the Community Outreach, Help & Recovery Unit (COHR), Captain James Donovan, and CIT Coordinator Officer Mark McLaughlin of the Somerville Police Department presented at the Social Work and Law Enforcement Conference (SWLE) in New Haven, Connecticut. The three-day Conference focused on “Police Social Workers and Bridging Communities”. The team presented on the unique establishment of the COHR unit within the Department. As a co-located, low-bar access service, COHR focused on the importance of utilizing a cross discipline lens which allows for multi-system communication to inform assessment and access to appropriate services.
COHR also touched upon their regional Training & Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) for Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), further emphasizing the importance of collaboration to inform training, outreach, and achieve positive outcomes for both community members and law enforcement.
Using a trauma-informed lens, COHR services include assisting individuals with quality of life issues, diversion from pre and post adjudication and short term clinical support. To learn more about COHR visit: COHR Department
To download a copy of their presentation click here: SWLE Conference 2024
How to partner with law enforcement webinar
In April 2024, the Community Outreach, Help & Recovery (COHR) program was invited to be a part of McLean Hospital’s Crafting Support Project (CSP). Together, CIT Coordinators Officer McLaughlin and Detective Reece along with COHR Directors Patty Contente and Jenn Korn lead a Webinar on “How to Partner with Law Enforcement”. In the video, staff review key elements of the COHR program, including the training aspect managed through the funded Metro Boston CIT-TTAC. Officers highlighted the benefits of a multi-disciplinary team, reinforcing the importance of collaboration to connect individuals impacted by behavioral health with more appropriate services.
The CSP offers a series of educational webinars that help build upon skills using evidence-based approaches for family members and friends of loved ones navigating mental health or substance use recovery including Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT). To learn more about the Craft Support Project or to see their other videos visit their page on: https://www.youtube.com/@craftingsupportproject
The Metro Boston CIT TTAC trainings include: CIT, Advanced De-Escalation and Documentation, Blue Courage, Whole Health Resilience, Mind, Body & Spirit, CIT for Dispatch in addition to specialized topics related to behavioral health. Consultation is available to assist departments in implementing CIT; data collection and community collaborations.
Communities Served: Acton, Andover, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Berklee College of Music, Beverly, Billerica, Boston, Boxborough, Boxford, Brandeis University, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge, Cambridge Health Alliance, Chelmsford, Chelsea, Clinton, College of Holy Cross, Concord, Danvers, Dracut, East Longmeadow, Endicott College, Essex, Everett, Fall River, Federal Reserve, Fort Devens, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hanscom Air Force Base (66th Security Forces Squadron), Harvard University, Haverhill, Hingham, Ipswich, Lawrence, Lexington, Littleton, Lowell, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Massachusetts State Police, Maynard, MBTA, Medford, Melrose, Merrimac, Middleton, Mount Wachusett Community College, National Park Services, New England Center and Home for Veterans, Newbury, North Reading, Peabody, Reading, Revere, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Sherborn, Somerville, South Hadley, Stoneham, Swampscott, Tewksbury, Topsfield, Tufts University, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Weston, Wilmington, Winchester, Winthrop, and Woburn
If you don’t see your community listed, but would like to learn more about CIT training and implementation please contact Jennifer Korn at jkorn@police.somerville.ma.us.
This project is supported through funding from the Department of Mental Health (DMH)
