Crisis Intervention Specialist Rob Condolora of UCS talks with Cpl. David Faden of the Bennington Police Department.Bridging the GapA mental health professional and a law enforcement officer may seem an unlikely partnership, but the practice of pairing these professionals together has been in existe nce in Vermont for over a decade and is more recently gaining increased traction in Bennington County and across Vermont. United Counseling Service of Bennington County (UCS) embeds crisis intervention specialists in the VT State Police Shaftsbury barracks and Bennington Police Department to provide a unique complement to services offered by local law enforcement. In a state where the number of Vermont adults reporting poor mental health creeps towards 20% and the number of young adults experiencing poor mental health approaches 30% (healthvermont.gov), the importance of mental health resources in communities continues to grow. UCS mental health professionals fill a need for mental health support that officers witness on a daily basis.“95% of [law enforcement] calls have a mental health component,” says UCS Crisis Intervention Specialist Rob Condolora, who works with the VT State Police. “On a lot of occasions, I’m dealing with people who are in the worst moment of their lives. It’s important for me to just be present, help them just get through, and provide resources.”Creating safer communitiesUCS currently employs three staff who work within local law enforcement agencies — two with the Vermont State Police in Shaftsbury and one with the Bennington Police Department in downtown Bennington. The program was created three years ago with the help of a grant from the Department of Public Safety, with the dual goal of having someone in plain clothes to offer support to individuals on calls, and to provide support to officers themselves. Three years into the program, there is still work to be done, including the need to expand the program. UCS Assistant Director of Emergency Services Rachel Muñoz sees opportunity to expand the program across the county.“They could use two full time people at the Bennington Police Department (Bennington PD). Expanding to emergency medical services would be fantastic too—and somebody in Northshire with Winhall Police Department.”“There is a reason I ask to have UCS Rob with me every shift that we work together. Having UCS with a patrol officer helps me to be more effective at my job. It is helpful to have someone with his skill set on scene to help people who need grief counseling, help regulating through a mental health crisis, or even just being good with talking to kids.”–Bennington PD Officer James MacauleyPartnering UCS staff with local law enforcement benefits the community by offering comprehensive services with every call — the safety component that officers provide and the immediate access to mental health resources and support from mental health professionals. UCS staff work alongside officers to address the social and emotional needs of people in crisis, which in turn, contributes to safer communities and improved outcomes for people in distress. (Vermont Care Partners Annual Report) “There is a reason I ask to have Rob with me every shift that we work together,” says Bennington PD Officer James Macauley. “Having UCS with a patrol officer helps me to be more effective at my job. It is helpful to have someone with his skill set on scene to help people who need grief counseling, help regulating through a mental health crisis, or even just being good with talking to kids.” Along with providing a listening ear, clinicians present individuals with information about local resources such as substance use services, outpatient mental health, housing supports, and other resources. “This model works so well because a time of crisis is when an individual may be most receptive to change,” says Muñoz. “Using embedded mental health professionals allows for a less acute and more therapeutic response to situations before they escalate.” Providing a safe spaceThe role of UCS staff working with law enforcement evolves with the needs of the community and of the officers themselves. Officers often call on UCS to provide debriefing and support following traumatic events. After a tragedy in the summer of 2024, Crisis Intervention Specialist Bill Elwell was requested specifically to offer support and resources to people at the scene. “Those kinds of things weren’t necessarily the goal of the program in the first place,” says Muñoz, “but we have the freedom to make it whatever our community needs. Positive interactions like these may help people feel more comfortable seeking services with the agency if needed.”“From a personal point of view, Rob has assisted me with one of the most difficult times in my personal life and career. Without Rob I would not have been able to move forward as quickly as I did.”–Bennington PD Officer Rob MurawskiMental health professionals accompany officers on most or all calls during their shift, which allows for a unique opportunity to build trust. Officers regularly ask UCS staff to review bodycam footage and provide suggestions for improvement in future interactions. They also look for support with their own mental health challenges, giving them a safe space to process trauma. The effects of the job on officers’ families cannot be understated, so UCS staff provide families with support and referrals to resources as needed. “Law enforcement officers live in a tough world under the scrutiny of a lot of different microscopes,” says Elwell. “The impact on those folks and their families can be heartbreaking too.”Rupert to Readsboro, Peru to PownalMental health struggles in Vermont grow alongside another looming crisis — housing. UCS embedded staff see the pain that Vermonters face every day caused by the lack of their most basic need – shelter. Calls come in from people concerned about seeing their neighbors out walking in the cold. As changes to the motel voucher program in Vermont are implemented, the number of people without access to safe shelter increases. Friends and neighbors feel that with shelters closing at 4pm and resources running thin, that their options to help are limited. “It’s tough to go home at night and get into your nice warm bed and you know that somebody is probably sleeping outside in 10-degree weather,” says Condolora. Officers and UCS staff work together to find emergency housing for individuals and families who would otherwise spend the night outside. It can take several hours to identify housing for someone, book transportation, and get them safe. “These situations have a point where the rubber hits the road and somebody has to deal with it,” says Elwell. “We can’t just say, ‘you don’t meet the criteria.’ Some people just have to figure out how to do the right thing, and that’s not easy some nights.” Elwell was featured by WCAX in 2023 for his work with the VT state troopers.Understaffing across the state increases the workload on everyone, but the work still must get done. The Shaftsbury barracks of the Vermont State Troopers operates with minimum staffing of one sergeant and two troopers, covering 1000 square miles from Rupert to Readsboro, and Peru to Pownal. Elwell and Prandini spend their days traveling with the troopers around the county providing phone support as needed. Sometimes their work involves the de-escalation of situations, brainstorming, or just giving space for individuals to simply vent their emotions. Issues stem from complicated family dynamics, substance use challenges, and increasingly, the effects of dementia and traumatic brain injuries. Elwell reports that the calls he receives are more complex now. “Probably the biggest change that I see, and the biggest concern sometimes is the challenge of broken families,” he says. “Families that have had a lot of trauma and substance use through the years have had a lot of relationships broken and bridges burned — and people don’t want to put them back together.”These complex challenges require a strong team committed to collaboration. UCS has found that community partner in local law enforcement, and within its own walls as well.“It’s such a great team of troopers that I work with,” says Prandini. “The UCS team is also excellent. What I’ve found is most of the time, the troopers are really great at speaking with people, making them feel heard and explaining things in a way that makes sense.”The numbers speak for themselves. In just five months on the job, Prandini has assisted troopers with 50 calls. Condolora accompanied Bennington police on 220 calls in 2024 and is already at 52 calls for this year. Elwell has already been on 112 calls this fiscal year, which started in July 2024. He’s noticed trends after a few years on the job — most notably, the number of high acuity calls has increased, and situations are becoming more complex and larger scale. The number of calls lasting three hours to several days has also grown, as has the number of requests for him to support first responders during traumatic events.As the number of non-criminal law enforcement calls grows, mental health professionals are increasingly needed as part of the response. Law enforcement brings their strengths to the partnership, as do their mental health counterparts. This partnership model is working across Vermont — by working together, staff can work more efficiently on every call and provide important resources for individuals in need resulting in better outcomes. “Nationwide in crisis work, there is a huge push for community and mobile outreach to decrease the burden on the healthcare system and non-criminal law enforcement calls, which UCS has done for years,” says Muñoz. “Our staff make referrals and connect people to services in real time—expertly following the national crisis intervention and response guidelines.” More about UCSUnited Counseling Service (UCS) is a private, non-profit community mental health center that has been an essential part of Bennington County’s integrated healthcare system since 1958. The organization has been designated as a Center of Excellence by Vermont Care Partners. UCS promotes healthy lifestyles through all its programs and offers care at 17 different facilities, including two primary outpatient facilities in Bennington and Manchester. UCS provides outpatient counseling and addiction services, emergency mental health services, extensive rehabilitation services, home and school-based services, employment services for people recovering from mental illness or with developmental disabilities, and early childhood services.  For more information visit ucsvt.org.This article is part of a series, collaboratively produced by members of Vermont Care Partners, a statewide network of sixteen non-profit, community-based agencies providing mental health, substance use, and intellectual and developmental disability supports.Read the story on VTDigger here: Mental health professionals support law enforcement to build safer communities. ...read more read less