mental health

Behavioral health nonprofit Sweetser has established a new partnership with law enforcement agencies throughout midcoast Maine to provide liaison work, including de-escalation resources and mental health support to those most in need. Michael Maudlin, Sweetser’s new Mental Health Liaison for Law Enforcement serving the Brunswick, Bath and Topsham Police Departments, as well as the Sagadahoc County Sherriff’s Office, joined Maine’s Total Coverage on Friday.Maudlin said he has a background in both law enforcement and mental health, so he can blend both services. “Mental health liaisons like myself can step in and provide a different level of service than law enforcement can offer on their own. Liaisons can provide community members with links to area resources, mental health support, and de-escalation. My role is to respond alongside law enforcement or respond to referrals from law enforcement and other community entities. This new partnership will have a goal to reduce the level of mental health work police are responsible for,” he said.Maudlin said the movement toward hiring behavioral health professionals to work with law enforcement acknowledges that law enforcement officers have been asked to wear many hats, acting as both law enforcement and frontline mental health response. He said law enforcement can’t do it alone, but they want to find better ways of protecting and serving.Maudlin said the model of embedding mental health liaisons with law enforcement has worked extremely well in other parts of the country and will now be deployed throughout the Midcoast. “When law enforcement is called, Sweetser hopes to put treatment, support and hope on the forefront of community engagement in situations where behavioral health professionals might be best suited to respond. While this is our first partnership like this, I could absolutely see the success of this partnership be used as a model in parts of our state to increase access to mental health services,” he said.If Mainers are looking for mental health programs and services, they can call Sweetser’s PromiseLine at 1-800-434-3000 or email info@sweetser.org.