BDPD Creates Mental Health Officer Position

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Police Department is focusing on the mental health of the people they serve. Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson says Karalyn Dehn has been named their mental health officer, a new position for the department.  

He says Dehn acts as a liaison between police and the hospital or Dodge County Human Services to coordinate how to best interact with someone who needs extended services the agency does not typically offer such as counseling or long-term mental health care. Dehn will also select trainings for the entire department to take part in to help expand their mental health coverage such as crises-intervention. Johnson adds that Dehn will make sure that no one (quote) “slips through the cracks.” 

During a recent appearance on Community Comment, Johnson said she is ready for this role. He says Dehn has a background in psychology and used to be a psychologist for several school districts in the area. 

Johnson says a pivot towards increased mental health training for officers has been happening across the country. He says looking back at many of the calls for service he has responded to, many of them were for mental health problems. Johnson notes that he is not only referring to calls for a suicidal person or a mental health crises but incidents of domestic abuse, alcoholism, and homelessness. He says mental health also plays a role in quality of life issues as well as the criminality side that police often deal with.  

Johnson says if called to assist, Dehn would contact Dodge County Human Services to see if there are any programs available to help or follow up at a random time to see how that person is doing. He says if their clerks or supervisors notice the same name popping up on police reports for mental health concerns, Dehn would be notified.