Northborough Police Department welcomes new jail diversion co-responder

Chief Brian Griffin is pleased to announce that the Northborough Police Department welcomes Lynn Botsaris, LICSW, as the new Jail Diversion Co-Responder.

The Northborough Police Department has used a Jail Diversion Co-Responder for the past four years, a widely used concept to assist public safety officers with emergency calls. When a 911 call involves mental illness, substance abuse, or other scenarios where residents need help or community resources, the co-responder can help avoid possible incarceration. This approach often relieves pressure on the jail system and provides a path to resolving existing problems by connecting clients with the resources they need.

Lynn Botsaris received her bachelor’s degree in social work from Elms College and her master’s degree in social work from Boston College. She has extensive experience in the field of mental health across all age groups. Prior to becoming a co-responder, Lynn provided ongoing therapy and supportive services to homebound individuals, addressing issues such as addiction, housing insecurity, and poverty. She also worked as a psychiatric social worker in the adult inpatient psychiatric unit at Saint Vincent’s Hospital and on the crisis assessment team in the emergency department at Saint Vincent’s Hospital, providing support and assessments to individuals in psychiatric crisis.

In her role as co-responder, Lynn serves as a shared resource to both the Northborough Police Department and the Southborough Police Department.

“Contacting our officers should be a path to resolving a situation. If we can do that long-term, rather than just putting a temporary band-aid on, we serve our community more effectively,” said Chief Griffin. “Individuals often get into trouble with the law because of their unique situation and because they feel there is no other way out. The co-response approach is one way to prevent individuals from getting stuck in a revolving door of being sent back to jail over and over again.”

Lynn Botsaris works for Advocates, an organization that provides a wide range of services to people facing life challenges such as addiction, aging, autism, brain injuries, intellectual disability, and mental health issues. At Advocates, thousands of individuals and families in Massachusetts find the support they need to live healthy, productive, and fulfilling lives.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call Advocates’ 24-hour crisis line at 800-640-5432.