The Fort Atkinson Police Department has partnered with the Jefferson County Health and Human Services Department to bring a licensed clinical social worker into the city to help with issues and concerns regarding mental health.
According to information released by Fort Atkinson Police Chief Adrian Bump, the department is the first in Jefferson County to utilize a pilot program with Human Services to staff the department with a social worker.
The release stated: “When Fort Atkinson Police Department dispatch calls badge number 600 over the radio, they are calling licensed clinical social worker Kim Miller. Miller works as an emergency mental health intake worker at the Jefferson County Health and Human Services Department, but two days a week she works from the Fort Atkinson Police Department.”
According to the release, Bump began developing a relationship with Human Services after he took the job as chief in September of 2014.
“When I got here, I was the only one who was certified and trained in crisis intervention in the department. Because of my background working at the University Police Department in Milwaukee, we trained everyone in crisis intervention,” Bump said.
By the end of 2022, all 20 sworn members of the Fort Atkinson Police Department will be trained in crisis intervention, he continued.
“Crisis Intervention training is definitely something that is needed in Fort Atkinson with the number of community-based residential facilities located within the city,” the release stated.
“Fort Atkinson Police have been dealing with mental health crisis so often over the past six years, a member of the department has been selected three times as the Jefferson County Crisis Intervention Team Officer of the Year, including School Resource Officer Daniel Hefty, just this year,” the release explained.
According to the release, Miller’s job will include arriving at the scene to help officers determine when a situation is safe, help deescalate the situation as needed, and assess the person in need of help for safety.
As quoted within the release, Miller said: “Law enforcement is the first point of contact, making sure the person is safe in the moment and looking for signs and symptoms of mental health issues. The goal with me being here is being able to co-respond with an officer and getting Human Services involved sooner in the contact and to pass the baton off so officers can clear the scene.”
With a background in behavioral health and substance abuse, Miller is familiar with the types of situations Fort Atkinson Police officers often find themselves in, the release noted.
Bump said of Miller in the release: “It would most likely be a delayed response. If officers are going to a call where we know someone is in mental health crisis, Kim would be notified they are going on the call and then we would probably stage her at a safe distance and when we know it is safe we could call her to the scene.”
According to the release, Bump said he envisions there being some situations where Miller would be the one connected immediately to a caller so she could determine next steps. Since Miller won’t be there every day, officers may also utilize her to follow up with a person after determining a pattern with someone who tends to be in mental health crisis or is building up to a crisis.
Said Bump: “Our officers will refer cases and contacts to her. We have times where we deal with a person sometimes two, three times in a day and it just starts building up. We know where it’s going and now we can interject with another resource.”
Miller continued: “The goal would be for me to reach out, assess their symptoms to see if they do appear to be having mental health issues and get them into mental health treatment to try to stabilize it early before it builds into a crisis where police are getting called out to a more dangerous situation.”
Additionally, the release noted, Fort Atkinson police have been responding to a high number of calls dealing with mental health crisis and are looking for ways to keep people out of the criminal justice system when, instead, they are more likely candidates to be placed within the healthcare system.
Miller pointed to options for residents in Jefferson County who need access to help, adding: “We have a 24/7 crisis line at Human Services.”
When not in a dangerous situation, Miller encouraged those who are able and looking for assistance to contact the crisis line instead of calling the police.
To contact the 24/7 crisis line, call: 920-674-3105 ext. 7. A trained crisis worker is available year round, 24/7, the release indicated.
Capt. Brandon Sachse, from left, and Officer Ryan Walters, both with the Fort Atkinson Police Department, and licensed clinical social worker Kim Miller gather at the Fort Atkinson Police station. Miller, a member of the Jefferson County Human Services staff, will be serving at the Fort Atkinson Police Department two days a week to assist with responding to calls involving mental health concerns. The initiative is part of a pilot program. Contributed photo.
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