Everett PD Back At Two Embedded Social Workers

For a long time in 2017 the Everett Police were down to one embedded social worker on their Community Outreach and Enforcement Team (COET). The team started in 2015 with the goal of balancing social outreach and relationship building with criminal enforcement when necessary. Here is an announcement from the city on the newest member of that team.

The Everett Police Department (EPD) welcomes Kelli Roark to the Community Outreach and Enforcement Team (COET) as a new embedded social worker.

Roark’s background includes social services work within the medical field, including working at Swedish Medical Center, where she provided case management services in the emergency department. She also worked in the critical care unit at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, providing crisis de-escalation services and case management to a diverse population of individuals and their families, many of whom were chronically ill and homeless. Roark’s background brings a wealth of experience to COET and she is excited to learn and grow in her role with EPD.

“Before my work in the hospitals, I worked at Catholic Community Services as a youth substance abuse counselor,” Roark said. “This helped me gain experience in working with people who are struggling with chemical dependency learn how to best connect them with resources.”

Roark also explained that her time at Providence and Swedish provided her with an understanding of the medical field, insurance and barriers to care. She plans to use this knowledge and experience to help people with chemical dependency access treatment and overcome some of the barriers they face.

In her position with EPD, she hopes to connect individuals with the programs that will lead them to a path of success. Roark is also excited to build community partnerships that will help people access the right tools.
Overall, Roark is most looking forward to helping people and interacting with colleagues and the community around street-level issues. “This unique position and program is exciting to me because it feels very inclusive with support from both the City and the community,” Roark said.