Who was the first mental health responder at the Brown University shooting?

Rachel Caruso, a licensed social worker embedded with the police, was among the first mental health responders at the scene.

What is Family Service of Rhode Island's role in crime response?

Family Service of Rhode Island embeds licensed social workers with police patrols to provide mental health support at crime scenes.

How did mental health professionals assist at the Brown University shooting?

They provided a calm presence, answered questions, and offered support to students and families affected by the shooting.

Home / Crime and Justice / Social Worker's Quick Response After Brown Shooting

Social Worker's Quick Response After Brown Shooting

21 Dec, 2025

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Summary

Social workers embed with police to support trauma survivors.
Rapid deployment of mental health professionals to shooting scene.
Focus on providing calm presence and support to students and families.

Social Worker's Quick Response After Brown Shooting

On December 13, licensed social worker Rachel Caruso was on patrol with police when a shooting occurred at Brown University's Barus & Holley engineering building. Her organization, Family Service of Rhode Island, embeds social workers with police to provide immediate mental health support to survivors of violent events. Caruso's unit was able to coordinate a trauma response team quickly after the incident.

Once cleared by police, Caruso entered the athletic facility designated as a reunification space. She joined twenty other mental health professionals, focusing on maintaining a calm environment and offering support to distressed students and their families. The immediate availability of embedded social workers proved crucial for rapid activation and response.