More than one in five adults has a diagnosable mental illness in Washington state. Nearly one in four Washington adults with a mental illness report an unmet need for treatment. Today, Oct. 10, is World Mental Health Day, a day to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
The Marysville Police Department Law Enforcement Embedded Social Worker program (LEESW) offers a bridge between those suffering from mental health issues and resources that can help. “Our biggest priority is taking the time to listen to someone’s story. We all have a story. It’s really about just taking the time to listen,” said Marysville Police Officer Mike Buell, a member of the Law Enforcement Embedded Social Worker Team.
National data shows that 40% of adults have experienced a mental or behavioral health condition during the pandemic. Washington has the sixth-highest prevalence of mental illness. The mission of the Law Enforcement Embedded Social Worker program is to help clients navigate the complex social service system and to remove the barriers that exist between addiction, homelessness and mental health issues to sobriety and housing. "My daughter is a heroin addict. That’s what got me started in this work,” said Officer Buell. “Many of the people we interact with have been prescribed medication but aren’t taking it because they run out or don’t want to deal with the side effects. In those circumstances, they often turn to street drugs as a way to self-medicate.”
“Our program is able to meet clients where they’re at. We have clients who continue to stay in touch months and year later once they are either properly medicated and/or remain clean and sober from the substance use,” said Rochelle Long, Mental Health Professional with the Marysville Police Department.
"One of the biggest components is helping build rapport and trust with the clients we work with." Since the Embedded Social Worker Program started in 2018, the team has engaged 2,868 people in the community. Of these encounters, MPD has 472 clients. Many of the clients now have jobs, housing and renewed family relationships.
"Several of our clients have done very, very well... We have clients who own clean and sober houses, have gone back to school and received custody of their children again. One of our clients is a family member of an MPD officer and she just recently got married," said Officer Buell. "We've had great successes. Those are the reasons why we do this."
If you or someone you know is in need of treatment or mental health resources in Marysville, the Law Enforcement Embedded Social Worker Team is available to help. For contact information and more about this program, visit www.marysvillewa.gov.
Sources: Mental Health America, 2021 and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2018.