Overview

The New Lenox Police Department is dedicated to serving the citizens of New Lenox by providing a wide range of professional services. A full-time licensed social worker is employed to engage community members who may require services and are unsure how to access them. Whether a police officer has made a referral or families are experiencing social, psychological and/or behavioral problems, the Social Services Unit is available to assist.

Services Provided

• Clinical referrals for mental health counseling and/or therapy
• Crisis intervention
• Victim assistance
• Court advocacy
• Short-term counseling
• Connection to financial/legal resources
• Other services as the need arises

Common Crises

• Mental health problems
• Substance use and abuse
• Domestic violence
• Juvenile problems such as runaway and other behavioral issues
• Elderly issues such as the inability to care for oneself

Available Services

• Crisis Intervention
• Court Advocacy
• General Domestic Violence Support
• Victims of Crime Advocacy Services

Services may be initiated through contact with the NLPD or by self-referral, and are free of cost unless an external fee is incurred from a referral source. If you are interested in obtaining assistance, please email Ariel Ruttenberg, Police Social Worker.

NLPD REACH Program

Family members and friends may be worried about their loved ones who struggle with Alzheimer's, Dementia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, other developmental/intellectual delays, and mental illness. Often, these conditions place individuals at a higher probability of interacting with first responders. The New Lenox Police Department's (NLPD) REACH Program (Resident Engagement and Community Health) was developed in response to the increased need of New Lenox's residents that require extra care when interacting with first responders.

The REACH Program allows residents to voluntarily provide the New Lenox Police Department with crucial information to be utilized in medical or other types of emergencies. By having this information before an emergency occurs, the New Lenox Police Department can proactively work to keep our community members safer. Please see the link to fill out the REACH application for either yourself or a loved one under on the Documents page.

Completed applications may be mailed or dropped off at the NLPD, or emailed to Ariel Ruttenberg, Police Social Worker. Upon receipt of the application, you will be contacted by Police Social Worker Ruttenberg to confirm the information provided in the application and complete enrollment.

The NLPD's dispatch provider, Laraway Communications Center, also participates in the Premise Alert Program (PAP). The PAP program allows dispatch centers to store special needs information for specific addresses. The information can quickly be disseminated to first responders in the event they are requested to respond to the address.

Download the NLPD REACH Application (PDF) for information on how to participate in this program.