COHR Department

The Community Outreach Help and Recovery Department (COHR) is Somerville Police Department’s in-house program. COHR was created to provide assistance with assessment, referral, alternative to arrest, as well as pre and post adjudication planning for individuals impacted by behavioral health. Staff include clinicians, recovery coaches and case management interns who work alongside the police and surrounding Mental Health stakeholders to quickly identify individuals in crisis and make referrals to provide resources for them on their recovery path from substance abuse and mental health. Staff will work with courts and police to determine diversion. Diversion can be done pre or post arraignment.

COHR also provides free training classes to residents who wish to assist others as Recovery Coaches. With the help and sponsorship from the City of Somerville and initiatives like the Police Assisted Addiction Recovery Initiative (PAARI) classes like “Pathways to Recovery” and “Mental Health First Aid” have been seen successful year after year. These courses help build an understanding of the individual, family and the community impact of substance abuse, and mental health issues. This has all lead to our new initiative to create a Crisis Intervention Team in surrounding communities in order to have an early action plan for police officers dealing with the increasing calls for service to better communicate and work with people in crisis.

Members of the COHR Unit participate in National Take Back Day which aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Call your local Health or Police Department to find your disposal sites today!

Jenn Korn, Officer McLaughlin, Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Officer Costa, Sabrina Ozit and Officer Hartsgrove participate in Somerville’s first Civic Day which aims to provide community members with fun interactive opportunities to learn about City programs and services.

Check out the COHR Brochure for more information!

LOCATION

220 Washington St, Somerville, MA 02143

☎ staff CONTACT

Jennifer Korn, Co-Director

jkorn@police.somerville.ma.us
617-625-6600 ext. 7283

Cheryl Delafano, Jail Diversion Clinician

cdelefano@police.somerville.ma.us
617-625-6600 ext. 7345

Marissa Cairns, Jail Diversion Clinician

mcairns@police.somerville.ma.us
617-625-6600 ext. 7286

Maria Theresa Queiroz, Jail Diversion Clinician

mqueiroz@police.somerville.ma.us
617-625-6600 ext. 7264

cONGRATULATIONS CHERYL!

Congratulations to Cheryl Delafano, the Jail Diversion Coordinator embedded in the Somerville Police Department, who was recognized for her fast acting communication skills resulting in a community member receiving life-saving medical care. For her efforts, Cheryl received the Beyond the Call of Duty Award!

Food for Free

COHR partners with Food for Free, a local organization, to provide an 8 hour Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training

COHR Director Patty Contente and Somerville Police Department Chief of Police David Fallon participate in Lynda Cutrell's "Stigma Unstuck: A Mental Health Art Series"

Stigma Unstuck features individuals living with Mental Illness and their allies. Click to learn more