By MARIEKE ANDRONACHE

Special to The Press

Lehigh County commissioners discussed the merits of the community intervention program and its benefits to police forces in the county during their July 12 meeting.

A professional services agreement with Pinebrook Family Answers provides for the hiring of three additional community intervention specialists for the police department mental health liaison program. Terms are Aug. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026.

“This contract represents a step toward the commitment we have made to address mental health in our community, that leads to treatment instead of incarceration,” Commissioner Dave Harrington explained to the board.

“We had a chance to have a pilot study done on this, with just one individual acting as a sort of a liaison between the services of mental health crisis and when someone makes a call to the police with someone acting erratic or something like that, and it was successful enough that we are now moving it to three individuals who are going to be circulating between the different police departments throughout the county.”

Harrington said the police departments are asking for this additional help.

“This is something that is going to be used in our community,” Harrington noted.

Commissioner Bob Elbich discussed the pilot program.

“The community intervention specialist dealt with 205 clients,” Elbich said. “Out of those 205 clients, 202 were redirected away from going to jail, being incarcerated, to direct health and support through the mental health system.

“That’s absolutely phenomenal. This is going to be a tremendous program.

“It’s going to provide outreach into the community to get folks where they should be treated instead of going to jail.

“They will be treated by mental health resources from the county and hopefully get them to a place where they are constructive members of the community again.”