By Emmanuel Vincent

On Monday October 26, the City of Somerville Public Health and Public Safety Meeting was held. Running for nearly two hours in duration, it was a virtual event, abiding by Governor Baker’s emergency orders as it pertaining to the Open Meeting Law.

There were several items on the agenda for the meeting. One of them was to explore ways to assist law enforcement with detecting mental health issues during their encounter with civilians. To see that this can be done effectively, the Sequential Intercept Model was presented by way of the Somerville Community Safety Coalition.

This model helps identifying resources and gaps at each intercept and from there, develop local, strategic action plans. This method has been adopted by communities across the country. “Many communities have used the model and community agencies to assess and address gaps in coverage, and to provide comprehensive treatment across a spectrum core population of safety,” explained Sarah Courtney, MSW, LCSW.

This is essentially reimagining safety. Mental Health and Substance Abuse is an issue that exists in the community. It can be challenging for police to spot out a mental health episode when responding to a situation.

This is important as there is an overwhelming population of people dealing with Mental Health and substance abuse issues in incarcerated settings. The Sequential Intercept Model is beneficial for both law enforcement and residents.

Another issue that was addressed during the meeting is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ever since measures were taken in an effort to contain the spread of the virus, people across the country have lost a sense of normalcy. No longer can they spend they interact with family and friends at an intimate level.

Now people are encouraged to engage in social distancing, including isolation. According to Dr. Doug Kress, Director of Health and Human Services, this is not what the human experience was intended to be, as it can be challenging, especially to our youth. “I know that one of the things that we are worried about with this pandemic is that people start to disappear and lose their, everyday normalcy,” Kress said. “So, we are trying to keep up with much of that.”

Steps that have been taken include the continuation of the Tobacco Control Initiative, which has seen new regulations passed over the last year. Also, meetings with the Somerville Positive Forces, which has seen an expansion with the inclusion of the Prospect Hill students.

While there is no definitive date set for the next meeting, it will most likely be held this coming Monday.