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Bluffton police mental‑health advocate reports rise in referrals, outlines officer-wellness plans
Summary
Carlos, the town’s police mental-health advocate, told council officer referrals rose modestly from 99 to 108 and follow-ups increased; he described partnerships with Coastal Empire/South Carolina DMH, an embedded clinician, a planned Cortico wellness app, and goals for peer support and regional collaboration.
Carlos, Bluffton’s police mental‑health advocate, presented his annual report to council on Dec. 10, describing increased referrals and follow-up work since he began in June 2024 and outlining next steps to expand officer wellness and community connections.
He said officer referrals increased from 99 in 2023 to 108 in 2024; follow-ups rose from 227 to 240 and supplemental reports from 125 to 130. Overall clients assisted rose from about 95 in 2023 to about 125 in 2024. Carlos described partnerships with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (Coastal Empire) and an embedded law‑enforcement clinician named Casey who serves Beaufort County; he also noted after‑hours crisis support resources and collaboration with school counselors and community providers.
Carlos said the department is implementing the Cortico officer‑wellness app to provide vetted, 24/7 counseling resources tailored to first responders and described plans to develop a peer‑support program. Council members thanked him, asked about licensing and clinical certification (Carlos said he has crisis intervention training and a psychology degree but is not a licensed professional counselor), and discussed ways to measure outcomes and build regional collaboration.
Next steps: Carlos said he would continue implementing the Cortico app, pursue a peer‑support program, and return to council with updates and specific metrics as the programs develop.
