The Tyngsborough Police Department is a member of the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) Police Collaborative, a regional partnership among the Tyngsborough, Chelmsford, Billerica, Tewksbury, and Dracut Police Departments. Funded through the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, the collaborative integrates law enforcement and behavioral-health services through a co-response model designed to better assist individuals experiencing mental health or substance-use crises.
Since 2020, the five participating police departments have worked collaboratively to connect individuals with appropriate behavioral-health resources while reducing unnecessary involvement with the criminal justice system and hospital emergency departments.
Through the BHU, clinicians work alongside police officers to provide crisis intervention, de- escalation, follow-up assistance, and referrals to community-based services. The program also provides law enforcement personnel with access to behavioral-health consultation and supports continued outreach following a crisis.
Behavioral Health Unit clinicians provide:
Meet Our Co-Response Clinician —
Hannah Gilbert, MSW
Hannah Gilbert serves as the Co-Response Clinician assigned to the Tyngsborough Police Department through the Behavioral Health Unit Collaborative. Hannah is shared between the Tyngsborough and Chelmsford Police Departments and works closely with officers to assist individuals and families experiencing mental health and substance-use related crises. Hannah brings experience as an outpatient mental health therapist, childcare worker, and social worker at an adult day health center, where she supported individuals with a wide range of medical and psychiatric needs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rivier University and a Master of Social Work degree from Simmons University. Through the co-response program, Hannah assists with crisis intervention, follow-up care, and connecting individuals and families with appropriate community resources.
