RELEASE: Monday, February 15, 2021

Contact Information:

Bob Lincoln, Project Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

833-370-0719

Joseph Leibold, Police Major, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

319-291-4383

Elevate staff, Mayor Hart, Police Chief Fitzgerald and Major Leibold will be available for comment during a media Zoom event at noon on Monday.  Members of the media should contact Major Joe Leibold to obtain the link for the press conference. 

Elevate CCBHC and Waterloo Police Department Establish Law Enforcement-Embedded Social Worker Partnership

Elevate Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) and the Waterloo Police Department (WPD) announce a groundbreaking partnership to help address mental health needs of Waterloo residents. This new program will embed Elevate social workers within the Waterloo Police Department and provide mental health crisis intervention training to officers. Elevate staff and WDP will respond as a team to those in need, and proactively engage those who experiencing a crisis.

Chief Fitzgerald said, “The goal of this program is to decriminalize behavioral crises, and reduce stigmas, by having Crisis Specialists available 24/7 both within the Police Department and through Elevate and other service providers. Our cooperative and collaborative approach proactively addresses underlying issues that often result in law enforcement intervention, incarceration, or the application of force.”

Elevate has actively been assisting Waterloo Police since January 1^st, 2021 on calls that involve a crisis response or services to those with mental health disorders. On February 15, 2021, Elevate and the WPD will establish a collaborative agreement to expand and improve crisis services in the community.  Embedding social workers in the WPD takes this partnership a step further.

 “The Elevate mission, to expand availability of evidence-based behavioral health treatment for people of all ages is consistent with the WPD mission tenet of sanctity of life,” says Bob Lincoln, Project Director. “This partnership will help make sure mental health needs are addressed in a timely and more affective manner.”

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two agencies is on the February 15, 2021 Waterloo City Council agenda.

“Law enforcement is confronted with mental health crises on a daily basis with few good options available to address the situation,” says Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart. “This partnership is an excellent example of innovative problem solving for mutually beneficial outcomes for our residents.”

About Elevate Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC)

Elevate CCBHC is a new clinic in downtown Waterloo that uses a “no walls” approach to provide behavioral health response to anyone, anywhere, in Black Hawk County.

Elevate is a member driven care organization that offers an array of behavioral health services such as trauma informed care therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, Veteran support, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, medication assisted treatment (MAT) and other substance use disorder treatments.

Call Your Life Iowa at 855.581.8111 or text 855.895.8398 and you will speak with a crisis counselor and they could dispatch the Mobile Crisis Team to your location within an hour or less. We offer onsite and in-person interventions to those experiencing a mental health crisis. We are here to help you where you are!

For an appointment call 833-370-0719 or walk in at 604 Lafayette St 2^nd floor Fowler building Waterloo, Iowa 50703: Business hours Monday – Thursday 8:00am to 7:00pm and Fridays 8:00am to 5:00pm (weekend appointments as needed). Find us on Facebook: Elevate CCBHC