Meet Josh Hopkins: the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Department Behavioral Health Officer

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY (NBC 26) — Josh Hopkins doesn’t look like your typical police officer, and that’s because he’s not. He doesn’t drive a patrol car and he doesn’t wear a uniform, but his role is just as important.

Josh is part of the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office and works as the first Behavioral Health Officer. He answers calls and investigates whether mental health issues may have played a larger role in police incidents. Later, he works with the District Attorney’s Office to figure out how to best handle someone with mental illness who has committed a crime.

“It keeps them out of the criminal justice system and ensures they have the long-term mental health resources they need,” Josh said.

On top of that, it trains agents so they can be aware of the red flags and recognize that there may be more going on behind the scenes. Josh is already seeing officers asking additional questions related to mental health and therefore responding differently.

The community also understands the importance of having someone on the force like Josh. What makes this position in Outagamie County unique is the money raised to support it through private funding for the next three years.

“The community is very engaged and has really put their money where their mouth is,” said Beth Clay, executive director of the NEW Mental Health Connection.

Beth was part of the team that lobbied for Josh’s job.

“We wondered what if they came to the scene with more information and with the goal of connection to treatment and support, and not with a goal related to safety or crime,” said Beth.

She argued that Josh’s position offers not only humanitarian benefits, but also financial benefits; breaking the stigma of mental health, but also saving money.

“Once someone has been charged, the cost of prosecuting that person, when everyone realizes this happened because of their mental illness, was not criminal intent,” said Beth.

Josh and Beth believe this is a position more departments should take, but it’s the funding that makes it difficult. They hope to show other counties that it is possible to raise the money. But for now, Josh hopes to be just the first piece of the puzzle that is the mental health crisis and police reform in general.

“The things that I’ve been involved in, and the differences that we’ve been able to make, and the lives of members of the community, is something that I see more and more departments transitioning to in the future,” Josh said.