Richfield, MN

Mariel Czech is a Hennepin County Senior Social Worker that works side-by-side with the Richfield PD. As a Police Embedded Social Worker, Czech receives referrals from police staff regarding individuals the department has had contact with.  Czech is dedicated to reaching out to individuals to offer support, provide resources, coordinate, and make referrals to community providers in hopes of reducing the need for additional calls for service. 

Czech has been with Hennepin County for nearly 2 years and recently joined the Behavioral Health team in an effort to serve her community and bring awareness to Mental Health. Czech has worked with criminally-involved youth and families throughout her time at Hennepin and has experience working with individuals with neurocognitive disorders and developmental disabilities. Czech has a history of volunteering with local youth programs and served as an AmeriCorps member with YWCA Duluth. The time she spent serving during and after college solidified Czech's passion and drive to continue to work closely with the members of her community. 

Czech provides short-term assistance in an effort to connect individuals with internal or community resources to help meet their needs. Cultural awareness and ethics guide Czech in her interactions with those she works with. Once Czech receives a referral, she will meet with the person(s), if they are amenable, and work collaboratively to identify their needs and evaluate where gaps exist. Identifying formal and informal supports is helpful so encouragement and dedication can continue after their time working together ends. Czech advocates for her clients and encourages the use of public assistance programs. By having a full-time social worker embedded in the RPD, there is hope that repeats calls and arrests will be reduced for those with mental health needs.