Friends,

The Blaine and Coon Rapids police departments recently hired Allison Miller as an embedded Mental Health Professional. Law enforcement officers are often called to help with mental health crises, and Allison’s role will assist officers and connect residents with resources in an effort to both ensure they get the support they need as well as decrease the number of repeat calls to law enforcement.

After officers have responded to mental health-related 911 calls, Allison follows up routinely either in person or with a phone call to encourage residents to follow through with care. She also accompanies officers on visits to help create trust with the community, and does her best to get to know residents and their lives in order to connect them with appropriate resources.

In Coon Rapids alone in 2020, there were more than 1,600 calls related to mental health. Coon Rapids Police Captain Bill Steiner shared that Allison’s role will help law enforcement build relationships with the people they strive to serve. He also shared that he has been working on adding a role like Allison’s to the department for over three years and that they are excited to see the positive impacts throughout the community.

Thank you, Captain Steiner, for your continued work on creating this important role, and thank you to Allison and all the officers who work day and night to connect those they serve with needed resources and care.

In gratitude,

P.S. We want to hear from you! If you have an officer to highlight or a story to #ThankACop, please do not hesitate to share it with us at [email protected].

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