Homeless and Mental Health outreach
Our department recognizes the need for a compassionate response to mental illness and homelessness. As such, we have dedicated mental health and homeless outreach units. Our homeless outreach (Impact) and mental health units are overseen by our new Social Service Administrator, Bridgette Dean. Bridgette possesses a Masters and Bachelor degrees in Social Work from California State University, Sacramento and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Under Bridgette, our mental health and Impact Units are passionate about creating and sustaining collaborative programs between social service and law enforcement systems. Our department strives to engage and link individuals to resources and solutions when they come in contact with our department. The unit's goals are to reduce recidivism, create positive relationships, and improve the quality of life within our community.
IMPACT TEAM
Sacramento is home to approximately 2000 people experiencing homelessness. The Sacramento Police Department understands that compassionate policing, wrap-around services, and building long-term partnerships are necessary in addressing the needs of those experiencing homelessness. We serve our homeless community with compassionate outreach, while advocating with our residential and business community, city leaders, and service providers to collaborate on long term solutions to homelessness.
The Sacramento Police Department’s Impact Team provides outreach and engagement services throughout the City of Sacramento. The Impact Team responds to community concerns regarding homelessness and engages with our homeless community members. The Impact team connects them with resources that can provide housing and other services. Additionally, our Impact team collaborates with service providers to help address the underlying causes of homelessness, and multiple options are available to assist each person. Below is a partial list of our partners:
Click here for our Homeless Response Metrics monthly statistics.
Mental Health Unit
In 2018 our department recognized that mental illness was becoming a significant issue in our community and created a mental health unit to help individuals in need. Our Mental Health Unit takes a holistic approach to those suffering from mental illness with the goal of providing a compassionate response, community safety, linkage to follow-up support and needed resources for care. Our mental health unit currently is comprised of one sergeant and four full time officers.
Please see our Community and Mental Health Resource Guide for additional services and contact information.
Additionally, under the direction of Bridgette Dean, who is also an adjunct faculty with the Department of Social Work and College of Continuing Education at California State University at Sacramento, the Sacramento Police Department has our first Social Work Intern program. The Social Work intern program provides Social Work students the opportunity to practice their skill sets and support the community by working with the Mental Health Unit and Impact Team while earning their college degrees.