Thomas Kammerer

Director, Living Room Manager

Tom holds his Master’s in Public Safety Administration from Lewis University. He is currently the Chief of Police with the Princeton Police Department and the manager of the Living Room Grant for Arukah. After more than 28 years of being a police officer, it is evident to Tom that we need to provide more appropriate services to those with mental health and substance abuse challenges. Police officers try their hardest to help people when they are in need, however, very few have the level of training necessary to address the specific needs of those in mental health crisis. Training is now received in de-escalation techniques, which can stabilize a crisis situation while police work to connect the person in crisis with a mental health professional. Immediate access to proper care is what needs to be established in order to help those in crisis. Co-response models, 24/7 Crisis and soon, the Living Room, are all ways we can provide access to services for those who need them. These solutions also reduce the burden on the police and emergency rooms, but most importantly, it connects those who need help with the proper resources.