Thanks to money received as part of the state’s opioid settlement, police departments in the cities of Dayton and Bellevue will share the services of a social worker.
On Tuesday, Dayton city council voted to authorize Mayor Ben Baker to enter into an interlocal agreement with Campbell County and Bellevue to use some of the funds received in the settlement to fund a full-time social worker position. The position would be shared by the two cities.
Kentucky is to receive $478 million as its share of two national settlement agreements. The agreements require manufacturers and distributors who flooded the states with opioids to settle 4,000 claims by state and local governments that they created and fueled the opioid epidemic.
Municipalities in Kentucky can apply for a share of the funds, but there are restrictions on how the funds can be used. Providing a dedicated social worker available through and in support of police departments fits the requirements to receive the funds.
The cities will share the full-time position 50/50. Each city will use $50,000 from the funds for the position. The social worker will come through the Campbell County Police Department but will work with the two cities.
When the county approached him with the idea, City Administrator Jay Fossett said the city had been considering adding a social worker position.
“A social worker in a police department can deal with social service issues that police officers are not trained to do,” Fossett said. “And so what this does is it allows us to get police back on the streets and allows social workers to follow up as necessary.”
This program, Fosset said, will allow the department to connect people with resources and treatment for substance use disorders as well as provide support for people suffering from mental health issues, domestic violence, homelessness and more.
Fossett noted that other cities, including Alexandria and Erlanger, are already providing these services and have told him they are very effective in helping address the issues.
The social worker will work through the Campbell County Police Department but solely with Dayton and Bellevue.
Funds for the program are available for two years with the possibility of a third year. After that, cities will need to find funding to continue the program.
“In my opinion, this seems like a great use of funding to give us a heads up on this program and gives us the extra man or woman power in this position,” said Mayor Ben Baker.
Code Enforcement Director Cassie Patterson said she was excited about adding a social worker. In her work, she said, she encounters some of the issues and needs of people in the city. She works with the schools to help address some concerns, but it will be a great benefit to have the services of a trained professional.
Dayton Police Chief David Halfhill also thanked council and city leaders for passing the resolution. He shared an example where having a social worker would have made a big difference. One of his officers spent six hours with a woman who was in need of mental health care, trying to assist, connect with resources and wait with her for transport to the hospital. If a social worker could have taken over, they would have known how to access the help needed, and the officer could have been back on the street.
“This is something I’ve been wanting for a long time,” said Halfhill. “We just never had the money to do it, and now that we do, it’s going to be a great. Thank you.”