Community Health

To better serve a growing senior population and respond to an increasing number of mental health-related calls, the Golden Valley Police Department (GVPD):

  • developed a community health officer position
  • partnered with Hennepin County on an embedded social worker program

The community health officer helps people who are going through or struggling with a mental health or chemical dependency issue. That support extends to family members of the person in crisis as they go through their own struggles and also need resources and support.

Once the community health officer makes contact with someone who needs assistance, he or she can connect them with multiple service providers throughout the metro area and follow up as requested.

To further its commitment to mental and community health, the City of Golden Valley and its Police Department are partnering with Hennepin County’s Sheriff’s Office and Behavioral Health to pilot the 911 Embedded Social Worker program.

When community members reach out to 911 for support in a variety of situations, responding officers will now have support from a mental health social worker based in 911 dispatch.