hope to ease the burden of the families and citizens of Mt. Lebanon,” said Jaqui Stilson, the municipality’s new social services coordinator. Stilson, who started the position in September, serves as a resource to residents, police officers and other municipal employees.

Stilson graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with bachelor’s degrees in social work and psychology and a master’s degree in social work. She has more than a decade of experience working in community mental health, crisis intervention and case management.

said Stilson.

Before joining Mt. Lebanon, Stilson spent seven years at Resolve, a suicide prevention and crisis service through UPMC and Allegheny County. Additionally, she worked alongside the South Hills Area Council of Governments’ Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), assisting in police negotiations with people who have mental health concerns. When integrated in police departments, Stilson said social workers become part of the team, get to know the character of the community and provide more effective services. “It’s good old-fashioned social work,” she said.

Stilson is the first social worker to work with the Mt. Lebanon Police Department. She helps officers assess when mental health or other social support services are needed. Officers can call her while in the field for on-demand consultations. It’s all about “lifting the veil on mental health,” Stilson noted. She will train the police department on diagnoses and disorders, basic techniques to help people in crisis, mental health first aid and more. Already, she taught the officers a crash course on 302 and 303s — shorthand for emergency evaluation and treatment for people in danger during a mental health crisis, named for the pertinent sections of Pennsylvania’s Mental Health Procedures Act. Mt. Lebanon officers then shared that information with the Castle Shannon Police Department, illustrating the cross-community benefits of mental health education.

Stilson offers free services to community members, including case management, short-term counseling, resource referral and education on mental health. For example, if an older adult needs home healthcare services, but doesn’t know whom to contact, Stilson will not only provide the information, but will also help to set up the services. “I’ll follow you until you reach your goal,” she explained.

Many times, people reach out to service providers, only to be put on a waitlist or never receive a call back. They’re expected to find available resources, know what they qualify for and remember appointments scheduled months in advance. “It’s a lot to ask of people who are going through a tough time,” said Stilson. She sees her role as a safety net, to help people waiting to be connected with long-term services.

Stilson can help with a variety of issues, including food insecurity, housing, children and youth support, senior care, substance use and mental health management. You can reach her at ssc@mtlebanon.org. If she can’t help you, she knows someone who can.