Methuen Police and Front Line Services Share Success of Police Assisted Therapeutic Help (PATH) Program After One Year

METHUEN — Chief Scott McNamara and Front Line Services President and CEO Matthew Page-Shelton are pleased to report that the Police Assisted Therapeutic Help (PATH) Program has reached hundreds of Methuen residents, changed lives, and saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in just one year of operation. 

In June 2024, the late Mayor Neil Perry joined Methuen Police and Front Line Services as they launched the PATH Program, seeking to revolutionize the way behavioral health challenges are faced in the City of Methuen. 

A year later, with major support from Mayor D.J. Beauregard Methuen Police and Front Line Services are reporting the results of a year’s worth of work in the community. 

The PATH Program includes two distinct teams that work together to support Methuen residents. The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) responds directly to behavioral health crises, working alongside police to divert individuals from unnecessary arrests or emergency room visits. The Community Response Team (CRT) follows up with residents experiencing behavioral health or substance use challenges to connect them with ongoing care and support. And thanks to the partnership with Front-Line Services, residents also received access to outpatient mental health care at no cost. 

The program is funded by several grants from the U.S. Department of Justice, including a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), as well as a $550,000 Justice Mental Health Collaborative Partnership grant from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance.

When funding uncertainties threatened the programs earlier this year, Mayor Beauregard stepped in and secured $165,000 in funding as part of the City of Methuen’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget. That funding, and the Mayor’s steadfast support, ensures that these highly successful programs will continue in Methuen. 

In one year of operation, the PATH teams have had 1,389 encounters with a total of 434 unique individuals within the Methuen community, processing 693 referrals and providing over 600 hours of therapeutic services. A total of 347 Methuen residents have accepted ongoing support from PATH. 

The care and connections provided by the PATH Program are estimated to have saved approximately $475,000 in healthcare costs by avoiding unnecessary emergency room visits and involuntary mental health commitments. The program is also estimated to have saved approximately $17,500 in criminal justice costs, and $14,000 in 911 diversion costs. 

The PATH program has led to a 25% reduction in transports to emergency rooms, exceeding early hopes of a 10% reduction. Officers have also exceeded expectations by using clinicians at 23% of all mental health calls. 

“In its first year, the PATH program is having a real impact, and the main driver of this success has been the ability of clinicians to be available when and where officers need them,” said President and CEO Page-Shelton. “Every individual reached by these services is someone who otherwise may have been left unserved, and someone who would have faced potentially increasing law enforcement engagement. The PATH team provides a holistic wrap-around approach that places the person served in the center. This innovative approach by Methuen is already showing an improvement to the quality of life for its residents.” 

“A few years ago, as police reform gained momentum in Massachusetts and across the nation, law enforcement was challenged to reimagine policing. In Methuen, we recognized a critical gap: our officers were not adequately equipped to address the growing number of residents experiencing mental health crises. Their only tools were handcuffs or involuntary Section 12 hospitalizations. We needed a better approach,” said Chief McNamara. “To address this, we developed a co-response program, inspired by successful models statewide, integrating civilian clinicians into our operations. The results speak for themselves: a robust, innovative program transforming how we serve our community.”

The PATH program is the result of work conducted by the Methuen Mental Health Task Force, comprised of members of the Police Department, Fire Department, Senior Center, Schools, Library, Health Department and other community stakeholders. 

“The PATH Program is one of the most important public safety and public health initiatives in Methuen’s history,” said Mayor Beauregard. “In just one year, it has helped hundreds of residents in crisis, delivered real results, and saved taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. That’s why, when federal funding was in jeopardy, we acted to ensure Methuen protected this program. I will continue to fight to ensure the PATH Program remains a lifeline in our community for years to come.”