My Clearwater
Summer 05
Police Department Launches Mental Health Unit
The Clearwater Police Department has a new tool to
help people in the community dealing with mental
health issues.
The department has formed a mental health unit, in
conjunction with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, to
respond to calls where a person may have needs better
served by someone with a mental health background. Two
Clearwater police officers, Carissa Costello and Cheryl
Wood, are assigned to the unit, and they work closely with
trained crisis response specialists on calls.
“Often, law enforcement is the first responder to calls
involving mental illness, and has the least effective tool – the
Baker Act – to address mental illness long-term,” said Chief
Dan Slaughter. “The Baker Act is a short-term solution for
a person in crisis to be stabilized. This unit will make sure
the most effective tools are applied to people based on their
medical condition and it will provide the necessary followup
to ensure connection to the proper service.”
The officers will respond to a variety of police calls for service
where their expertise will come in handy, including overdose,
welfare check, neighbor problem, emotionally disturbed
person, domestic, suicidal subject and others.
Wood has been with the police department since 1997;
Costello joined the agency in 2019.
Costello worked in the mental health field for 10 years in
New York helping people in a variety of ways. Now she is
doing the same on the streets of Clearwater.
“It’s a great feeling to help those who are struggling get
the help that they need,” she said. “One of our goals is
to reduce mental health hospitalizations by ensuring
people are provided with the appropriate referrals and
resources to maintain stability.”
Wood, too, is excited about her new role.
“I hope to help people get the assistance that they need or
want but are unsure how to go about getting it,” she said. “I
want to help connect people with the resources that are best
suited for their needs.”
Two Clearwater police officers, Carissa Costello (left) and Cheryl
Wood (right), are assigned to the new unit to help people in the
community dealing with mental health issues. They work closely with
trained crisis response specialists on calls.