WITH MENTAL health concerns on the rise, the Lake Forest Police Department (LFPD) announced the addition of an essential role—its first full-time social worker. This new position provides counseling for clients and conducts critical incident stress debriefings, as well as other crucial services within its very own community.

Enter Lauren Perez, who joined LFPD in late May. With extensive experience in counseling and crisis intervention, Perez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with at track record of success. In addition to providing counseling and community support services at the Lake County Health Department, she has also served as a school social worker at Virtual Connections Academy and was the Associate Clinical Director of Social Services at Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System in inpatient hospitalization.

“I’m incredibly excited to join a police department that understands and has been proactive regarding mental health,” Perez says. “I’m excited to support the officers in their day-to-day responsibilities, establish relationships, and build trust with the community.”

Among the many responsibilities that Perez will shoulder, group counseling and grief support are at the top of the docket. Plans to create a support group for police spouses, a grief-support group with the Dickinson Hall Senior Center, and a teen-support group with the Committee Representing Our Young Adults are just some of the projects she’ll be tackling and overseeing.

Karl Walldorf, Chief of Police, believes creating this full-time role was an important priority.

“For many years, calls involving a mental health component have increased for the LFPD,” he says, explaining that in 2015, the addition of a part-time social worker was welcomed with an overwhelmingly positive response. “However, we realized over time that our demand exceeded our ability to supply services. We hope that with Lauren on board full time, we can better serve our community’s needs.”

With Perez, the Lake Forest community just got brighter.

“Advocacy, linkage, and education are at the foundation of everything I do as a social worker,” she says. “This role will give me the ability to engage the Lake Forest community in these areas for years to come.”

The Lake Forest Police Department is located at 255 W. Deerpath Road in Lake Forest. For more information, call 847-234-2601 or visit cityoflakeforest.com.