Groveland is part of a coalition that recently hired a jail diversion clinician to better help police respond to behavioral health calls.
Robin Reid, working in collaboration with Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Services, was welcomed by the police chiefs of Groveland, Rowley, Boxford, Georgetown and Newbury. The position, paid by a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Jail/Arrest Diversion Grant Program, implements a “Component Jail Diversion Program.”
Reid is assigned to Rowley on Mondays, Boxford on Tuesdays, Groveland on Wednesdays, Georgetown on Thursdays and Newbury on Fridays and is expected to break free to assist with any behavioral health crisis within any of the five partner communities. During her assigned community day, she serves as a resource available to the public and will make follow-up visits as needed.
Additional money will be used to provide increased behavioral health training to members of each of the five partner agencies to increase citizen and officer safety, increase the services available to community members, decrease unnecessary arrests, decrease undue stress on the emergency services system and successfully divert behavioral health patients to treatment or connect to services, as needed.