MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Blaine Brings Police Social Worker Into Library for Monthly Community Resource Hours

The new CommunityConnect program allows residents to seek confidential help with housing, food, mental health, employment, substance use and other needs without an appointment

BLAINE, MN (September 13, 2026). Blaine residents looking for help with housing, mental health, food insecurity or other everyday problems will soon be able to walk into a public library and speak directly with the police department's licensed social worker without scheduling an appointment.

The Blaine Police Department and Anoka County Libraries are launching CommunityConnect: Community Resource Hours, a free monthly drop-in program designed to connect residents with services in a setting outside the police station.

The first session is scheduled for Thursday, September 17, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Johnsville Library, 12461 Oak Park Blvd.

No appointment is required.

Residents will be able to meet with Kelsey Keil, the Blaine Police Department's licensed social worker and Mental Health Coordinator.

The city says the conversations can include confidential guidance and referrals involving mental health, housing, food insecurity, financial difficulties, employment concerns, substance use, parenting resources and services for older adults.

Help before a problem becomes an emergency

The location is an important part of the program.

Police departments increasingly encounter people whose immediate problems are not primarily criminal.

A person facing eviction may need housing assistance. Someone experiencing a mental-health problem may need treatment rather than arrest. An older resident may need help navigating services. A parent may need support. Another person may be struggling to afford food or find employment.

CommunityConnect creates an opportunity to address those needs in a public library rather than waiting until a problem produces an emergency call.

The city describes the program as a way to provide support in a welcoming and convenient setting.

It also makes Johnsville Library more than the physical location where the meetings happen.

Libraries routinely serve residents who need internet access, employment information, government forms, educational resources and other assistance. Adding a social worker creates another entry point for residents who may not know which agency or program can address a particular problem.

What residents can ask about

The city specifically identifies seven broad areas where CommunityConnect can help:

Mental health services, housing, food insecurity, financial or employment problems, substance use, parenting resources and services for older adults.

The program is intended to provide guidance and referrals rather than replace specialized treatment, emergency services or the agencies ultimately responsible for providing assistance.

Residents do not need to know which agency they need before arriving.

That is part of the purpose of the program.

Keil can help identify appropriate resources and connect people with them.

Monthly sessions

After Thursday's opening session, CommunityConnect will return on the third Thursday of each month.

The program is free and does not require advance registration.

Residents seeking additional information can contact Keil at kkeil@blainemn.gov.

For people experiencing an immediate emergency, the drop-in program is not a replacement for 911 or urgent crisis services.

For everyone else, the idea is considerably simpler:

A resident has a problem.

They may not know where to start.

Beginning Thursday, one place they can start is the library.

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