Law Enforcement Liaison (Lincoln County)

Becoming part of the Sweetser family means you can make a difference in the lives of Maine children, adults, and families every day. As a nationally recognized and accredited leader, we offer competitive salaries, a wide range of benefits and the opportunity to join a passionate team of more than 700 employees.

Sweetser has a brand-new position as a Law Enforcement Liaison! The Behavioral Health Liaison is a trained mental health professional embedded in the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department to address the mental health and behavioral health needs of the Lincoln County communities utilizing evidenced-based behavioral health interventions. The liaison will work with law enforcement to co-respond to mental health calls and provide crisis intervention, person centered follow-up, referrals, and connection to services. The liaison will engage in outreach and relationship building activities with law enforcement and community members to increase awareness and understanding of behavioral health and resiliency.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Accompany first-responding officers to call-out situations, promoting an ethical, structured, healthy and helpful environment. Serve as behavioral health liaison to Law Enforcement Departments personnel.

• Provide follow-up services after police involvement and provide connections to community services and providers to address ongoing housing, food insecurities, insurance, employment, and mental health and substance use treatment needs.

• Provide individuals with case management support and advocacy until appropriate community resources are available.

• In appropriate circumstances, provide crisis intervention services including crisis assessment, disposition and short-term follow-up crisis counseling.

• Have a thorough knowledge of local resources and work to connect individuals identified by Law Enforcement Departments with needed social services and community supports.

• Develop and maintain a thorough knowledge of managed care and health insurance systems; provide other clinicians with managed care information and resources pertinent to the crises being managed.

• Establish strong working relationships with community providers.

• Deliver trainings and mentoring to the employees of the Law Enforcement Departments on the topics of mental health and substance use, stigma, Naloxone, harm reduction, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and de-escalation strategies.

• Participate in cross training of police personnel.

• Good foundation of knowledge of facilitating community groups, this position may have responsibilities to facilitate HUEs meetings (High Utilizer of Emergency Services Meetings) working with multiple disciplines

• Provide the departments with Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Mental Health First Aid, as needed.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Knowledge of Lincoln County and it's demographics.

• Thorough knowledge of public and private mental health resources.

• Thorough knowledge of public and private resources available for substance abusers.

• Thorough knowledge of MaineCare policies and coverage and local health care systems.

• Flexibility of work hours will be required as liaison work may be needed at varying times.

• Exceptional written, oral, and platform presentation skills.

• Proven ability to work with socially diverse populations.

• Strong commitment to treating clients, as well as family and associates, with dignity and respect.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Associate’s degree or higher in relevant social science or equivalent education and work experience. (LSW preferred but not required).

CERTIFICATION, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:

• Valid state driver’s license.

• MHRT-CSP eligible

• Must be able to speak, read, and write English fluently.