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Lincoln County adds Sweetser behavioral‑health liaison to co‑response with deputies
Summary
Commissioners heard from Danielle Pierce, a newly contracted Sweetser behavioral‑health liaison who is working alongside deputies in a co‑response model and reports averaging 16 new people served per month; the board discussed data reporting and training needs to increase referrals.
Danielle Pierce, the Sweetser‑contracted behavioral‑health liaison for Lincoln County, told the county commissioners that her co‑response role with deputies is “going really well.” The sheriff introduced Pierce during the meeting and said the county’s Two Bridges facility census and community‑response needs prompted the new position.
Pierce described a field‑based approach in which she sometimes responds with a deputy and sometimes follows up after officers leave to reduce the barrier that uniformed officers can present. “I work alongside them, but I’m not law enforcement,” Pierce said, adding that conversations she has with residents are confidential unless a client signs a release. She told commissioners she averages about 16 new individuals per month and manages ongoing contacts with people she has seen previously.
Sheriff’s office staff and chief‑level presenters outlined the county’s data collection process for mental‑health calls and said monthly reports are shared with NAMI Maine. The sheriff cited recent totals, noting roughly 220 primary mental‑health calls in 2024 with about 16% flagged as substance‑use or co‑occurring incidents, and fewer primary mental‑health calls recorded in 2025. Officials said the statistics are limited by how calls are coded (for example, a domestic dispute entered as a domestic call may reveal a mental‑health crisis on arrival) and can be refined if commissioners request specific breakdowns.
Commissioners pressed on operational details: how deputies refer cases to the liaison, whether other towns use similar models, and what training might help deputies recognize mental‑health indicators. Pierce said deputies typically email referrals to her or include her in follow‑up; she also suggested targeted training sessions for deputies and department staff to improve recognition and referral rates.
The board did not take a separate vote on the liaison position at the meeting; presenters said the role is grant‑funded and part of a broader co‑response pilot meant to reduce time deputies spend on repetitive follow‑up, with the goal of shifting some hours to Pierce’s outreach work as the program matures.
The commissioners asked staff to return with additional statistics and suggested periodic updates so they can track referrals, time‑savings for deputies, and whether the liaison model is reducing repeated responses to the same individuals.
