Commentary: Mental health training for police is saving lives
The Daily HeraldNov 19, 2017
By
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Approximately 1 in 10 police calls involves a person with mental illness, making police the nation's de facto first responders to mental health crises. Although police are on the front lines, they often do not have the training to recognize and appropriately respond when an emergency involves a mental health crisis.
When police officers in
But the officers didn't draw their weapons. Instead, Lt.
Eventually, the young man dropped the knife. Instead of being charged with a crime, he agreed to be evaluated at a local hospital. Lt. Gannon's Mental Health First Aid training gave him the skills needed to identify, understand and respond to the signs of an emerging mental health crisis. His reaction may well have saved both their lives that day.
One in 4 people killed by police in 2017 were mentally ill. Police officers join law enforcement to help people and support their communities, but when officers aren't prepared to respond effectively to a behavioral health crisis, they put themselves and the individual who is mentally ill at risk. They need training to help respond to those affected by mental illnesses and addictions.
Recognizing the effectiveness of this training, the
Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety ensures that every officer in the field — even those without specialized Crisis Intervention Team training — has tools to deescalate potentially dangerous situations. Mental Health First Aid training has also helped many officers in their personal lives by providing strategies to help themselves, their families and their partners.
For the last four years, federal funding has supported Mental Health First Aid training for individuals who work with youth.