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Mental‑health co‑response team at Stow PD aims to reduce emergency‑room trips, Advocates says
Summary
Representatives from Advocates described the co‑response jail‑diversion program at Stow Police — operating since 2022 — that pairs mental‑health staff with officers on scene to offer services and avoid emergency‑room transports when possible.
Representatives from Advocates, a Framingham‑based mental‑health human‑services agency, described their co‑response jail‑diversion program operating with the Stow Police Department since 2022. "So those who are experiencing a mental health crisis and police end up responding, we're there to provide services at the scene and avoid, trips to the emergency room if and when we can," an Advocates representative said.
Speakers at the Advocates table noted Chief Schley's support for the program and said the partnership aims to connect people in crisis with alternatives to arrest or emergency‑room transports. The event exchange did not include data on call volume, cost or measurable outcomes; organizers said the program has been "up and running since 2022," but did not provide written performance metrics at the booth. Journalists and residents seeking specifics should request program reports or data from Advocates or the Stow Police Department.
