It's been one year since the Boise Public Library hired Ashley Hammond as its first Mental Health Coordinator. Since she started, Hammond says she has helped almost 200 patrons.
She says bringing social workers into libraries is part of a greater effort across the country to help community members with some of their more complex needs.
"Things like substance use, mental health systems and crisis housing, and food instability and unemployment," said Hammond.
Libraries can offer low-barrier help in ways more clinical settings cannot. Hammond doesn't bill insurance or ask anyone to fill out paperwork but instead tries to connect people with resources available in the community.
"I would say the number one category of service request assistance is affordable housing."
Hammond says meeting people where they are through day-to-day interactions and celebrating their successes, whatever they might be, has been the most rewarding part of her job.
"I really appreciate the flexibility with responding to what the need is and trying to just do what needs to be done."
In addition to the mental health coordinator, the Boise Public Library works with several organizations to host pop-ups that provide access to community resources and services. The main two are Lawyers in the Library every first Tuesday at the Main Library and the Outreach Resource Pop-Up at different libraries around the Boise area on Wednesdays.
