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Health & Recovery Unit

The Wilmington Mental Health Coordinator with the department therapy dog.

The Wilmington Police Department has a specialized unit, the Health & Recovery Unit (HRU), which focuses on behavioral health – mental health, substance use, developmental health, etc. – which impact Wilmington individuals, families, and friends on a daily basis.

This Unit builds relationships with individuals via co-response with Public Safety, follow-ups after Public Safety interactions, walk-ins, and/or referrals from community members or other providers. Through partnerships with the Police Department, Fire Department, Elder Affairs, Veteran Affairs, and other organizations, the HRU utilizes supports within the community and greater region to grow involvement and positive networks for individuals and their loved ones. The goal of each interaction is to meet the individual/family/group where they are at and assist them with their immediate and long-term needs and goals. 

This unit can help facilitate communication between different providers, act as an advocates, identify suitable community resources, refer to additional services, provide brief treatment while waiting for long term treatment, work within the court system (if appropriate), and more. HRU is intentionally flexible in order to meet the needs and gaps in services which are often experienced by residents.  

Schedule a Meeting to Learn More

Coordinator
Samantha Cavanaugh, LICSW
(978) 447-2296 
scavanaugh@wpd.org 

Therapy Dog
Zena
Zena’s Instagram

Wilmington Wellness Coalition: Community based resource comprised of town and state staff and local treatment providers seeking to aid the community in advancing education in behavioral health areas while seeking prevention techniques  

Frequently Asked Questions

What immediate resources are available?

HRU has resources which are available to residents at no charge. These include transportation assistance (for treatment and wellness related needs), Deterra (safe prescription/over the counter drug deactivation), Fentanyl and Marijuana test strips, urine analysis cups, and Narcan. If you are in need of any of these please reach out to schedule a drop off or pick up, or to book transportation.

What can you do for me?

Ultimately, you are the only one who can turn your life around or improve your situation. However, the HRU is dedicated to walking along side of you and linking you with resources along your journey. Through conversations we work together to identify strengths and needs in order to find an appropriate, and customized, direction of services and support recommendations.  

 What are some examples of community resources?  

Peer groups, all levels of care for substance use facilities (detox, CSS/TSS, sober living, etc.), counseling/therapy, support centers, application assistance to local/state/government funded programs,

 What is your relationship with the police? 

This unit does not have a relationship with the criminal aspect of the Police Department. Although the office is located within the department and work is done in collaboration with the police, this unit does not deter people based off of criminal records. Clinical information obtained is kept confidential to the HRU in order to best serve that individual. A general rule of thumb is that it is not disclosed to Public Safety, however, basic information might be shared with law enforcement only during emergency responses if required for safety. 

 Someone I care about has mental health concerns and/or is involved with substance use, can you help? 

Yes! You can give the unit a call or you can provide the contact information to them, or even make the call together. 

 How is this position different from seeing a therapist?  

Seeking a personal therapist will provide excellent individual care on an emotional basis; the objective of this unit is to collaborate with all service providers in order to create a team environment to most successfully serve the needs of the individual/family. Therefore, this unit can be a supplementary element of treatment in addition to pre-established or co-occurring serves and treatment. Furthermore, HRU can aid you in establishing a relationship with a therapist if you don’t have one already. 

Is there a cost to this service?  

No, it is provided by the Town of Wilmington free of charge and open to the community. However, this is not intended to be a long-term clinical therapy nor is it a intensive treatment program, we can guide you in the right direction to receive appropriate services within the community. 

Resources

*Please be advised that this is just a brief overview of creditable sources and information, there is a large amount of uninformed/inaccurate information about mental health & substance use on the internet, please practice informed learning. Please reach out to HRU to learn more and identify appropriate services for your specific needs.  

Mental Health Services

Elder Services

Substance Use Services

Domestic Violence