Archive

Law enforcement officers are trained to recognize and appropriately respond to people with mental illnesses and co-occurring disorders. Training commonly includes information about the signs and symptoms of mental illness and crisis management and intervention techniques. Read More

Dispatchers and call-takers are trained to identify and appropriately respond to calls that may have a mental health component. This can include mental health awareness, verbal de-escalation techniques, appropriate triage and dispatch protocols, and coding of mental health calls. Read More

Law enforcement officers are equipped with technology that enables them to remotely video-conference with mental health professionals. Officers can then connect people in need with a mental health professional. Read More

A specialized team of law enforcement personnel is responsible solely for responding to mental health-related calls for service and other duties related to people who have mental illness. Read More

A written policy helps officers determine the proper procedure when encountering an individual with mental illness in different scenarios. Read More

Typically through completing and submitting a form that includes identifying information, people can notify law enforcement of a family member’s conditions and needs–including mental illness–to better inform personnel for potential future encounters. Read More

One or more mental health professionals work within the law enforcement agency alongside law enforcement personnel to provide expertise and support for mental health-related calls for service and encounters. Read More

The law enforcement agency allows mental health personnel, often those that are embedded in the agency, to review records in their data system. Mental health personnel can then follow up on calls or encounters that have been flagged as having a mental health component to provide support, treatment referrals, and… Read More

Law enforcement officers, often working as a specialized team with social workers and housing system partners, engage people experiencing homelessness in the community and respond to homelessness-related calls for service in an effort to connect them to housing and other services. Read More