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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Duluth - Police Department
Mike Ceynowa, Chief of Police
2030 North Arlington Avenue • Duluth, Minnesota 55811 • www.duluthmn.gov
For more information contact:
Public Information Officer, Mattie Hjelseth at (218) 730-5434 or mhjelseth@duluthmn.gov
DATE: 2/9/2023
SUBJECT: DPD Announces New Behavioral Health Unit
BY: Mattie Hjelseth, Duluth Police Department Public Information Officer

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DPD Announces New Behavioral Health Unit

The Duluth Police Department’s co-responder (CORE) mental health team and its Substance Use Response Team (SURT) now fall under a newly formed unit called the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU).

“Substance use and mental health conditions often go hand in hand,” said Lieutenant David Drozdowski. “In order to better serve our community members, the decision was made to combine CORE and SURT under one umbrella.”

Behavioral health issues make up a substantial percentage of 911 calls. The work the Behavioral Health Unit does daily helps some of our community’s most vulnerable members, which in turn reduces the number of calls for service.

“The holistic approach of enforcement, recovery, and education/prevention allows us to provide resources to those in need,” said Chief Mike Ceynowa. “Resources include recovery support services, harm reduction services, access to mental health facilities, withdrawal management, and more.”

The Behavioral Health Unit will continue to offer the services available prior to the merger, but there will be more collaboration between CORE and SURT to connect individuals to vital resources in our community.

The BHU consists of a Lieutenant, a Sergeant, four Peer Recovery Specialists, three Licensed Graduate Social Workers, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, a Registered Nurse, and three police officers dedicated to CORE.

To contact members of the Behavioral Health Unit, visit our website at: https://duluthmn.gov/police/community-policing/partnerships/

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