Mental health 101: Program helps police intervene in crises
June 27, 2014
Connecticut lawmakers have passed a bill making mental health response training available to all of the state’s police officers. The police department of Fairfield, CT has had a Crisis Intervention Team for over three years, staffed by 18 of the force’s 107 officers. They have been trained to assess a situation that may be affected by a mental health problem an individual is experiencing, and they are often able to provide appropriate referrals rather than making an arrest. Officers often make follow-up visits to homes a few days after a mental health call, in order to connect people with the support services they may need, and to gather important contextual information that can help police respond safely and appropriately if another call comes in from the same household.
Spark Extra! A national conference on Crisis Intervention Teams will be held in Monterey, CA, October 13-15, 2014.