COHASSET — Chief William Quigley is pleased to announce that the Cohasset Police Department has recently received a $5,000 grant to support post-pandemic mental health.
This grant was awarded to 15 communities in Norfolk County by District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey.
“A significant portion of our calls for service involve individuals in crisis due to mental and behavioral health issues,” Chief Quigley said. “With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased social isolation, we have also seen a rise in these types of reports. This grant funding could not be more timely, and with it, we will be able to better serve our community and provide the proper care to those who need it.”
The grant funding will allow the department to contract with a licensed social worker, who will provide assessment and referral services for people in or approaching crisis. The social worker will also provide guidance to town departments, including police, fire, public health and elder affairs. The remaining funding will go toward providing field training for officers, who are often the first ones in contact with people in crisis.
“We try to target our community reinvestment dollars where our towns identify the greatest need,” District Attorney Morrissey said. “Coming out of the pandemic year, our partners in the schools and town departments have made it very clear that the deepest need is mental health support and services.”
Past projects funded through District Attorney Morrissey include providing community service dogs, school safety grants, trainings for school personnel and prescription drug collection containers.
###