New London―The city is on the verge of launching a new program that officials hope might eventually curb the number of calls to police that involve mental health issues.

Alliance for Living, a New London-based service organization, has posted job openings for three city-funded peer navigators _ community health workers with personal life experiences who can provide outreach to individuals with mental health issues and connect them with treatment options.

New London Human Services Director Jeanne Milstein said that along with receiving referrals from police, the navigators will also be out in the community building relationships with people with mental health and other needs that at times lead to interactions with police. Those relationships potentially could lead to fewer calls to police, she said.

The navigators will not be riding with police to emergency calls but police will refer people who need assistance to them.

People with a past mental health diagnosis, incarceration or interaction with police are encouraged to apply since the position involves creating a rapport with individuals with mental health issues. Police report that on an annual basis, 40% of calls to New London police are connected in some way to a mental health issue.

The initiative is an expansion of a existing navigator program developed by New London County CARES (Coordinated Access, Resources, Engagement and Support) in 2017 to combat the opioid crisis. City officials said that program has helped reduce calls for police and fire services.

The existing four navigators develop relationships with people struggling with substance use and provide education and connections to available services. The navigator program is a collaboration between Ledge Light Health District, Alliance for Living and the city’s Human Services Department.

The two navigator programs have similarities since substance abuse and mental health issues sometimes overlap. But the issues are not all interchangeable, said Ledge Light Health District Deputy Director Jennifer Muggeo.

“There are specific barriers and needs and supports that come into play helping someone access things they need to improve their mental health, which are distinct from some of the conversations and supports that come to bear when working with someone using drugs,” Muggeo said.

The idea to employ mental health navigators emerged from the recommendations of a Public Safety Policy Review Committee created in 2020 by Mayor Michael Passero to address police accountability issues. The committee recommended a boost in funding for social service resources to help reduce the number of interactions between police and people with mental health issues.

The City Council responded with a $200,000 boost to the Human Services Department to create the new navigator program.

Alliance for Living President and CEO Kelly Thompson, “our goal is to connect with members of the community that need assistance.”

Those needs, she said, can also stretch beyond mental health treatment and cross over into housing, food insecurity and employment issues.

New London Police Chief Brian Wright said he looks forward to implementation of the program.

“I think it’s going to be extremely beneficial, an additional resource to assist consumers of mental health services,” Wright said.

Wright said police will still be expected to respond to calls for service involving an individual with a mental health issue but welcomes another resource to assist individuals who might be in crisis.

“The ultimate goal is to provide a higher quality of service for our community,” Wright said.

City police already work with social workers and have crisis intervention training, but Milstein said police mostly use a crisis model.

“Police shouldn’t be responding to all mental health calls. It really should be a different system. Our ultimate goal is to have an infrastructure of service and police don’t have to be called,” Milstein said. “We’re not there yet.”

Thompson said applications for the position are coming in now and will be under review in the coming months. The salary for the job starts at $40,000 a year. Alliance for Living, which will manage the new navigators, plans to have the program in place by the fall.

G.smith@theday.com