PEPPERELL – The Pepperell Police Department would like to announce that Chief David Scott was recognized with an award for Excellence in Crisis Response at the annual conference of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Massachusetts.
On Saturday, Nov. 5, Chief Scott attended NAMI Massachusetts’ 40th-annual conference and accepted the award in recognition of his work as Pepperell Police Chief.
The Excellence in Crisis Response award is given annually to a justice system champion who works to divert people with mental health conditions from unnecessary arrest and incarceration.
NAMI Massachusetts Deputy Director of Programs Eliza Williamson, who presented the award, spoke of Chief Scott’s work with the regional Community Outreach Initiative Network (COIN), a program that Scott started via a grant from the Department of Mental Health.
The COIN Program places mental health clinicians and recovery coaches in police departments to help assist those identified by police as suffering from substance use or mental health conditions in locating services. COIN serves the towns of Ashby, Ayer, Boxboro, Dunstable, Groton, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend and Westford.
Williamson also recognized Chief Scott’s work in creating a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training program for the COIN towns. Scott received grant funding from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center (CRI-TAC) to bring subject matter experts from CIT International to train police officers, firefighter, dispatchers and others in how to run their own CIT training. CIT training is a 40-hour program designed to help first responders understand and deal with calls involving people with substance use or mental health conditions so that these types of calls result in better outcomes for the individuals involved.
Chief Scott was nominated for the award by Williamson and Tim Burton, NAMI Massachusetts Criminal Justice Diversion Manager.
“I want to thank both Eliza and Tim for nominating me,” Scott said. “Pepperell and our area towns, as well as so many other police departments have come a long way in responding to these crisis calls. We are still growing, and we hope to have clinicians riding with officers in our COIN towns on a regular basis in the near future.”
About NAMI Massachusetts:
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts (NAMI Massachusetts) is a nonprofit grassroots organization. Founded in 1982, NAMI Massachusetts seeks to improve the quality of life for people living with mental health conditions, their families, and their caregivers. NAMI Massachusetts works to ensure that all people impacted by a mental health condition receive the support they need when they need it. NAMI Massachusetts pursues its goals via education and support programs, training for community members, annual events, and advocacy at the state and local levels. For more information, visit: https://namimass.org/.