(La Porte, IN) -  The La Porte Police Department has its first ever social worker to try and get a better handle on drug abuse and other mental health issues that cause law enforcement to get involved.

 

It’s the type of work Caitlyn Kalisik has wanted to do since childhood when reaching out to others seemed to come naturally.

 

Her first day on the job included responding to a drug overdose for lending moral support and connecting family members with any extended services that might be needed or wanted to address their difficulties.

 

Kalisik was chosen from nearly 20 applicants.

 

“I was very excited.  I’m still super excited.  I think I’ll be very excited for some time,” she said.

 

The position was created to help more people by filling cracks in the system.

 

After responding to a call, officers often don’t have the time or training to get people to calmly open up and connect them with a mental health professional most suitable for their circumstances, said LaPorte Police Chief Paul Brettin.

 

“This person will get them the resources they need,” he said.

 

Kalisik, 26, grew up in Wisconsin then spent four years as a U.S. Marine.

 

She often stepped in to be a friend to classmates needing advice or a shoulder to cry on and source of emotional support to military colleagues having trouble dealing with a traumatic experience.

 

Kalisik said her dream has always been to become a therapist but she wasn’t trying out for the role.           

 

Her actions just came naturally.

 

“I was doing a lot of social work without knowing that I was doing any social work,” she said.

 

After released from the military, she landed in Hobart then Valparaiso and enrolled at Purdue University Northwest.  Her internships included actual social work duties ranging from helping people fill out applications for protective orders to assisting substance abusers in their recoveries through the courts.

 

After graduating, Kalisik said she was employed as a family case manager with the Indiana Department of Child Services.  She later became a case specialist for Family Recovery Court through LaPorte Circuit Court and is currently working on her master’s degree.

 

Kalisik and her three year old daughter now live in Michigan City where she bought a home last year.

 

For now, she said her primary goals at the department are reducing substance abuse and the number of repeat offenders.  Kalisik said she’s ready to change her course, though, if other more pressing behavioral needs begin emerging over time.

 

“It’s really just going to be what the needs of the community are.  I, personally, am willing to do as much as I can,” she said.

 

Kalisik is also making herself available to help police officers struggling with something they encountered while on duty. She’s already made it known that seeking help is nothing to be ashamed of and for them not to have second thoughts about seeing her.

 

Kalisik said she enjoys the family-like environment at the police department being similar to what she experienced in the military. She also likes the camaraderie between her and the officers, who seem to relate to her because of her time serving the country.

 

Kalisik said she’s not ruling out becoming a therapist one day but that’s not where her focus is right now.

 

“I would say beside a therapist being my dream job, this is my second dream job,” she said.