The fatal police shootings of two Hartford men during separate mental health emergencies earlier this year put a spotlight on how Connecticut law enforcement agencies respond to people in crisis and the role mental health professionals can play in those encounters.
While the Hartford shootings intensified calls for reform, Bridgeport has spent years building a different approach. There, crisis calls are often handled by teams that pair police officers with licensed clinical social workers.
“Our goal is to slow things down,” said Linda Lubin, a social worker with the Bridgeport Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team officers, who responds alongside officers to calls involving mental health crises, substance use, homelessness and other behavioral health concerns.
During a typical week, Lubin follows up on previous cases, conducts wellness checks and responds to new referrals.
“We want to get people to the right resource, not into the criminal justice system,” she said.
Positions like Lubin’s are becoming more common in Connecticut as interest in pairing officers with mental health professionals grows. Connecticut does not require every officer to become a Crisis Intervention Team officer, but all recruits receive basic mental health training through the police academy. Officers who volunteer for CIT complete an additional 40-hour specialized course approved by the Connecticut Police Officer Standards and Training Council and taught by the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement
Fairfield Police Department social worker Jessica Bloomberg said she partners with Crisis Intervention Team-trained officers to support residents experiencing behavioral health crises, helping connect them with immediate assistance and follow-up care.
Crisis Intervention Team training remains the foundation of many police responses to behavioral health emergencies. Southern Connecticut State University’s Center for Police Social Work builds on that approach by training officers and social workers to respond together, connect people with treatment and provide follow-up care after a crisis.
“The need is so big out there,” said Isabel Logan, who founded the center.
Logan said the center has trained dozens of police officers, social workers and social work students. A similar program run by Western Carolina University in rural North Carolina reports that roughly 70% of people agree to accept help after meeting with a social worker, according to North Carolina Health News.
Logan said the center’s data show most police social work cases involve adult mental health concerns, followed by housing instability and substance use, underscoring the need for clinicians alongside officers.
Lieutenant Nicholas Rankin, director of law enforcement for the center and a 17-year veteran of the Norwich Police Department, said the partnership helps bridge long-standing divides between policing and social work.
“My mission in life is to help people appreciate others they thought were on the opposite side,” Rankin said.
Shortly after the Hartford shootings, the Connecticut Psychiatric Society called for stronger Crisis Intervention Team programs, stating that research shows crisis intervention training helps officers safely and effectively respond to behavioral health emergencies.
“Mental health crises are medical emergencies that require compassion, clinical expertise and response systems designed to de-escalate distress and protect life,” the society stated in a press release.
For Lubin, that’s the philosophy behind Bridgeport’s program.
“We want people to see us,” she said. “We want them to know that help is available.”
