West Brookfield Select Board backs mental health co-responder grant for five communities

Select Board · Meeting of January 20, 2026

West Brookfield Select Board unanimously backs a state-funded mental health co-response grant covering up to five communities at no direct town cost. The board voted Tuesday to support the Department of Mental Health grant application, which would fund a full-time co-response clinician at approximately $115,000 per year through a vendor rather than a town hire, with West Brookfield serving as the lead applicant. Police Chief, who collaborated on the grant with Hardwick-New Braintree Chief Landeen and Dr.

Sarah Abbott of William James College, told the board that 70 to 80 percent of police calls involve a mental health or substance abuse component. The board also approved overtime for the Memorial Day Parade (roughly $1,700), the town bonfire ($422.40), and the summer concert series ($211.20 per event) through June 30 under the current budget freeze, and rescinded a prior vote on outdoor evidence storage after the town administrator flagged legal concerns. In other business, Town Administrator Teresa reported that federal funding of over $1 million for the Leland Road water project appears to have been reinstated and a separate $500,000 Water Trust grant was received the same day.

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Source: the Select Board meeting of January 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.