Program description
Bremerton Police Department Behavioral Health Navigators collaborate with Bremerton police officers to co-respond to calls that involve individuals experiencing suicide ideation, mental or behavioral health, child protective services, adult protective services, or complex health issues. The Navigators act as a community liaison to connect their clients to community resources that meet their individual needs. Navigators work closely with partners to avoid duplication of services and ensure individual needs are met timely easily and compassionately. Key partners in this work include:
Bremerton Fire Department
Kitsap Mental Health Services
Peninsula Community Health Services
Kitsap Community Resources
St. Michael Medical Center
Local R.E.A.L. Teams
Read more in Olympic Community of Health's Connecting Community Members to Care report.
Populations of emphasis
Anyone in need of resources with emphasis on people experiencing:
behavioral health
complex health
and/or child protective services related call
How it works
Bremerton police officers co-respond with navigators on calls involving individuals experiencing behavioral health, complex health, child protective services, and/or adult protective services.
Once the scene is secured, navigator works with client to identify needs.
Navigator connects client with appropriate resources.
If navigator is not available to co-respond, police officers send internal referral and navigator follows up with individuals.
Data
506 referrals to Navigators in 2022
558 individuals contacted by Navigators in 2022
Almost 75% of individuals contacted accepted help
Source: Bremerton Police Department 2022 Annual Report
Tips for success
Clearly define what you want your program to accomplish and the parameters of the program.
Hire the right people for the job
Identify what data is important to demonstrate the value of your program and way to track and report
Funding
Braided funding from multiple sources including:
Kitsap County 1/10th
WA Association of Cities Grant administered through the City of Poulsbo
Central Kitsap Fire Department operational support including vehicles, office space, employee time/benefits, administrative support
Contact
Connecting Community Members to Care Report
OCH is honored to share the success of the Bremerton Police Department Behavioral Health Navigator Program and is inspired by their continuing commitment to timely, compassionate care that meets individual needs. Read more about this and other successes in OCH's Connecting Community Members to Care report.