Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. is proud to announce that Dr. James Barrett has joined the Cambridge Police Department as its new Director of Clinical Support Services. Dr. Barrett works out of the Department’s newly structured
Family and Social Justice Section and oversees the
Clinical Support Services Unit. He is responsible for directly managing the Department’s licensed social workers, non-sworn community outreach and case management staff, as well as providing clinical support to officers in the Unit.
Dr. Barrett has worked closely with the Cambridge Police since 2007, when he helped found the nationally recognized
Safety Net Collaborative. Encompassing the Cambridge Police Department, Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge Health Alliance and Cambridge Human Services Department, the Safety Net Collaborative has resulted in a significant decline in juvenile arrests in the City of Cambridge and has been endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) as a promising approach to preventing juvenile delinquency. Most recently, he worked as an Instructor in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of School-Based Programs in the Division of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry at the Cambridge Health Alliance.
“Policing in Cambridge is not about arrests, but about helping people and working to get them the assistance they need,” said City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “The addition of Dr. Barrett in the Cambridge Police Department will further the City’s commitment to a social justice approach to policing.”
“Dr. Barrett has been such a valuable asset for the Cambridge Police Department and Safety Net Collaborative over the years,” said Commissioner Bard. “I am thankful for the support we received from the City Manager to bring Dr. Barrett into the Cambridge Police Department in a full-time capacity. He will greatly enable the Department to strengthen its case management processes, more effectively support officers with topics such as mental health and youth development, and provide clinical oversight in areas we deal with more now than ever before.”
In addition to the Clinical Support Services Unit, the newly structured Family and Social Justice Section also includes the Family Justice and Social Justice Units. These operational units have been established to provide specific services to members of the community who would be better served through a “social justice approach” than what could be afforded to them through a conventional criminal justice approach. These community members include youth and families, domestic and sexual assault survivors, and individuals who are homeless, dealing with mental health issues and substance abuse.
“With a nationally-recognized expert in child and adolescent mental health and juvenile justice, two accomplished licensed social workers, and two community outreach staff members who have strong local connections with residents and businesses, the Clinical Support Services Unit is well-equipped to advance the Department and support the Cambridge community,” continued Commissioner Bard.
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