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Roseville introduces two city-employed embedded social workers to support crisis response
Summary
Roseville officials introduced two embedded social workers who will work with police, fire, schools and community partners to provide ongoing mental-health support; the program began in 2022 with ARPA and partner funding and now employs the social workers directly.
Police Chief Bridal Scheider introduced Molly Slade and Amber Ruth on May 12, saying the city’s embedded social work program started in 2022 and has moved from contracted to city-employed positions to broaden services across schools, police and fire.
The program matters because, Scheider said, “1 in 5 adults experience a mental illness every year, and about only half of those receive treatment.” She told the council the social workers now handle more than 100 referrals a month from multiple sources and that the city used ARPA and other grant funding along with Ramsey County and People’s Incorporated to start the work.
Scheider described two recent referrals the social workers handled: a family dealing with early-onset dementia and a vulnerable adult in a group home who wandered repeatedly. In both cases, Scheider said, the social workers built relationships with the family, staff and the individual and helped set up supports that could reduce future emergency calls and improve care.
The new hires bring experience the city emphasized in its hiring: Molly Slade, a Roseville resident who served on the Human Rights Commission from 2014–2017, has two decades of mental-health experience and a master’s degree in social work from the University of St. Thomas; Amber Ruth has more than 20 years in community mental-health work, including previous embedded social work in Saint Paul and certifications in forensic social work and crisis de-escalation. Scheider said the positions were converted from contracted roles to city employees after a competitive process.
Council members praised the program and urged broader public awareness. Mayor Roel and several council members said the approach helps connect people to services and allows law enforcement to focus on policing by diverting noncriminal mental-health calls to trained social workers. Council member Straub said the program is a model other cities have asked to replicate, and Council member Bauer encouraged the social workers to continue providing feedback to the council about program needs and improvements.
The city did not specify a separate ongoing budget line in tonight’s remarks beyond the earlier funding conversion; council members thanked staff for making the positions permanent and encouraged outreach so residents know the service exists.
