Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I just got done taking a week-long course in recognizing mental illnesses and psychiatric emergencies (we call it CIT - Crisis Intervention Training). It was put on by a larger department in my area and they've typically got at least 10 CIT guys on the street in every sector in any given shift to handle those types of calls. It this becoming a common thing? I mean, i understand calling swat guys to a swat situation or dive team guys to a water situation, but having specially trained officers respond to mental health calls? Sounds like it's a good idea to me, but I wondered how widespread this is.

We have people throughout the country assigned to critical response teams. They are called out whenever Employee Assistance feels they would be beneficial in helping people deal with the trauma in as healthy manner as possible. While the program is run by a specially-trained doctor, they are only a first response and refer problematic personnel to more professional, long-term assistance when necessary.

Representatives of this group also show up to our hug-squad briefings when we return stateside from our Afgan/Iraq assignments. After our tours overseas, we have a 3 day counseling session (as a team) with a doctor. It's a good thing, really... but it kind of sucks when you come back on subsequent tours. At least they are doing something, though. :)

From the training I received in law enforcement vs. the training I received as a psychiatric security officer, I feel there should be at least a lot more basic academy training on how to deal with people suffering from psychiatric problems.

Some of the stuff I was taught on the law enforcement side, I eventually learned was bad for the mentally ill person in the long run and can actually perpetuate the problem.

...yeah, and while some of the psychiatric side of things is better for the patient. LE does not always have the liesure to hit a duress button on the wall, causing a unit lock-down and a bunch of back-up to rush your way.

Do other departments have specially trained officers who only respond to those types of calls ("My wife is in the bathroom and is threatening to slit her wrists," "I feel depressed and am about to take a bunch of pills and end it" etc etc etc)? Just wondering if that's going to become the next big thing in law enforcement....

Nope. LE is horribly understaffed and underfunded. I don't see agencies dedicating those types of resources - it's logistically impossible. What they WILL need to do is recognize we have a HUGE number of people suffering from PTSD as a result of the Global War on Terror and train officers to notice signs and symptoms. First responders will not be able to treat PTSD (obviously), but at least recognize why a person may be doing what they're doing.

In the end, I believe we're here to enforce the law. We shouldn't be getting involved in lots of other non-traditional roles.

In the end, I believe we're here to enforce the law. We shouldn't be getting involved in lots of other non-traditional roles.

I think that's what I'm having the hardest time wrapping my head around after this class. What do you do with someone who has broken the law but the root cause is possibly mental illness? You've still gotta lock them up, I would think, and I'm not going to give some guy a belly rub who just cut his wife up with a hatchet because the voices told him to. I hope you're right, Sarge...I'm good at finding law breakers and taking them into custody so that justice can be served. I'm not good at being Dr. Phil.

But if the voices really told him so, he's not going to be in jail for long anyways and the defense will move to an insanity plea, sending him to a mental health institution. If a person is that crazy, they need to be there to begin with.

Yes, there should be more mental health training in the academy and how to de-escalate situations with EDP's. Hell, there should be a lot more of other types of training too but we all know how funding works out. :(

I think that's what I'm having the hardest time wrapping my head around after this class. What do you do with someone who has broken the law but the root cause is possibly mental illness? You've still gotta lock them up, .
You should have this clarified in your CIT class. In what state are you?

You should have this clarified in your CIT class. In what state are you?

Oklahoma. The problem with the clarification is that if you listen to docs and nurses, they'll tell you that mental illness is the primary factor in comitting crimes in the US (and I don't necessarily have a hard time believing that, I suppose), so most criminals need treatment (the kind they don't give in jails). Where do you draw the line? The guy who is in the gas station parking lot having a psychotic episode and screaming at the gas pumps even after the manager told him to leave the property is trespassing. Jail or doctor? What about the guy having the psychotic episode who assaults someone in a very minor fashion? I don't really think I have that big of a problem using my discretion in these situations, but I could see how some officers would.

I didn't want to start a firestorm in this thread, though...just curious if other officers in other parts of the country were seeing specialized police mental health units start to pop up like they are here...

We have a mental health evaluation unit (1 deputy & 1 mental health professional per car - not sure how many cars they have total). They're not always available when we need them. Some nights, it's not unusual to hear deputies from several different stations requesting their services. When they Are available, it makes our "job" easier when dealing with dings - they can take them and admit them, freeing us up.

Yes, there should be more mental health training in the academy and how to de-escalate situations with EDP's. Hell, there should be a lot more of other types of training too but we all know how funding works out. :(

How much MH training did you have in your academy? IMuneducatedO, you don't need special "EDP de-escalation" or "EDP communication" training - IMuO, you only need good communication/BS'ing skills. IME, There is no cookie cutter approach or set of de-escalation techniques in dealing with EDPs - nothing is 100% and what works on one might not work on another and might not work with the same one the next time...

How much MH training did you have in your academy? IMuneducatedO, you don't need special "EDP de-escalation" or "EDP communication" training - IMuO, you only need good communication/BS'ing skills. IME, There is no cookie cutter approach or set of de-escalation techniques in dealing with EDPs - nothing is 100% and what works on one might not work on another and might not work with the same one the next time...

I'll put it this way. Fighters train years for one fight, Police train 6 months for a lot of fights (sometimes less than 6 months too), and harder fights. I know I don't have first hand experience, but more training is never a bad thing. In my area, we do have have special EDP de-escalation training handled by a CRU (Crisis Response) Officer. In NYC, ESU handles them.

I'm not a Police Officer, I didn't mean for my comment to throw you off or anything. My comment was more as a civilian observing how EDP's are handled. The Academy is always tight for funds though (At least here, they're still working out of a trailer until they're able to rent out the old school) in Nassau. There is never an 100 percent approach to anything, otherwise nobody would ever get hurt or killed.

Ahh, a topic dear to my heart!!

CIT is non profit organization that trains LE how best to handle offenders who are suffering from mental illness. While there was the example of the guy butchering his wife with a hatchet (of which at that point I believe is above and beyond the training, that guy is a murderer and either belongs in prison or if truly mentally ill, in a forensic hospital).
Here is a link to the one in CT, in fact OK uses the same training module I believe. CABLE - Connecticut Crisis Intervention Team Training (http://cableweb.org/Information/Crisis%20Intervention%20Team%20Training.htm)

When I interned at the Forensic Unit at a mental hospital, I dealt specifically with people arrested for crimes. Usually it was for public intoxication, discon, trespassing, etc. Occasionally we got someone for burglary. There was a another unit for those who committed more serious crimes (sex offenses, [although if deemed not too violent, some came to the unit I was on], even murder). But it seems as though LE are often the ones that have to deal with mentally ill people who are non-compliant with their meds and have no place to go. Therefore, programs like this are good since, as Lawson stated,
From the training I received in law enforcement vs. the training I received as a psychiatric security officer, I feel there should be at least a lot more basic academy training on how to deal with people suffering from psychiatric problems.

Some of the stuff I was taught on the law enforcement side, I eventually learned was bad for the mentally ill person in the long run and can actually perpetuate the problem.

these types of individuals are more prone to escalation then perhaps your average hoodlum.

The problem with everything, not just LE, is a lack of funds. Even mental health hosps due to inexperienced and overworked staff and decrease in monies will let certain people out that should not be in the community.


Samuel We have a mental health evaluation unit (1 deputy & 1 mental health professional per car -

Oh man, I would love to do that!! I should move to LA.


Sgt. Slaughter
In the end, I believe we're here to enforce the law. We shouldn't be getting involved in lots of other non-traditional roles.
I agree. But I think that having knowledge about psychotic disorders such as Delusional Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder is a good thing.

I agree. But I think that having knowledge about psychotic disorders such as Delusional Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder is a good thing.

If there is a report of someone breaking the law, cops shouldn't give a rat's *** the reason why. The job of a police officer is to protect those who can't protect themselves, investigate violations of the law, seek out and arrest the perpetrators. Knowing that psychotic disorders exist isn't a bad thing, but knowing the different types and root causes is a waste for LE. That's why society has mental health units. The police have SO much piled onto their plates now (much of which is due to constantly changing case law) that it's effing ridiculous.

If there is a report of someone breaking the law, cops shouldn't give a rat's *** the reason why. The job of a police officer is to protect those who can't protect themselves, investigate violations of the law, seek out and arrest the perpetrators. Knowing that psychotic disorders exist isn't a bad thing, but knowing the different types and root causes is a waste for LE. That's why society has mental health units. The police have SO much piled onto their plates now (much of which is due to constantly changing case law) that it's effing ridiculous.

I only pinpointed the above since those are the disorders that are usually the worst ones for violence. Just having a general understanding of psychotic disorders I think is useful.

I will say that this is why I feel as though having a background in something other than CJ is beneficial to LE. I have no doubt that when and if I do become a LE, my experiences will come in handy.

Please don't think I'm trying to belittle your knowledge or diminish how it may apply to LE as a whole. However, the generally educated patrol cop doesn't need to know much more than the basics and that does NOT cover mental health. That's why you constantly see the public getting up in arms expecting us to know and react to every person's individual mental/emotional issues. The more info we're required to process, leads to people getting hurt. Invariably, it's the cops that get injured trying not to hurt the person with "issues".

If they want to create special 'mental health response teams' then fine. Have at it. Snatch people up with a team of paramedics that can push drugs to chemically restrain people and get them the help they need. If I want to specialize in mental health and it's treatment, I'll go work at a nuthouse or another social program, NOT be a street cop.

Realize my viewpoint is that of a streetcop and not of a detective/federal agency involved in psychological profiling. If one progresses to that level in their careers and has that desire, then they'll put in the work to attend the training.

Please don't think I'm trying to belittle your knowledge or diminish how it may apply to LE as a whole. However, the generally educated patrol cop doesn't need to know much more than the basics and that does NOT cover mental health. That's why you constantly see the public getting up in arms expecting us to know and react to every person's individual mental/emotional issues. The more info we're required to process, leads to people getting hurt. Invariably, it's the cops that get injured trying not to hurt the person with "issues".

If they want to create special 'mental health response teams' then fine. Have at it. Snatch people up with a team of paramedics that can push drugs to chemically restrain people and get them the help they need. If I want to specialize in mental health and it's treatment, I'll go work at a nuthouse or another social program, NOT be a street cop.

Realize my viewpoint is that of a streetcop and not of a detective/federal agency involved in psychological profiling. If one progresses to that level in their careers and has that desire, then they'll put in the work to attend the training.

Please don't think I'm trying to belittle your knowledge or diminish how it may apply to LE as a whole. However, the generally educated patrol cop doesn't need to know much more than the basics and that does NOT cover mental health. That's why you constantly see the public getting up in arms expecting us to know and react to every person's individual mental/emotional issues. The more info we're required to process, leads to people getting hurt. Invariably, it's the cops that get injured trying not to hurt the person with "issues".

If they want to create special 'mental health response teams' then fine. Have at it. Snatch people up with a team of paramedics that can push drugs to chemically restrain people and get them the help they need. If I want to specialize in mental health and it's treatment, I'll go work at a nuthouse or another social program, NOT be a street cop.

Realize my viewpoint is that of a streetcop and not of a detective/federal agency involved in psychological profiling. If one progresses to that level in their careers and has that desire, then they'll put in the work to attend the training.

No, I didn't think that and I apologize if I came off as a "little miss know it all".

I understand your point, police officers are trained in tactical measures to deal with a variety of people. My point is that police often encounter mentally ill individuals and that having knowledge of mental illness may help them deal with the individuals. That's all. I would never expect LE to start counseling people.

I just got done taking a week-long course in recognizing mental illnesses and psychiatric emergencies (we call it CIT - Crisis Intervention Training). It was put on by a larger department in my area and they've typically got at least 10 CIT guys on the street in every sector in any given shift to handle those types of calls. It this becoming a common thing? I mean, i understand calling swat guys to a swat situation or dive team guys to a water situation, but having specially trained officers respond to mental health calls? Sounds like it's a good idea to me, but I wondered how widespread this is.

In Australia it seems that we are going to have different approaches to dealing with mental health crisis intervention. Our most populous state, New South Wales, which has a force of about 14,000 I think, is going to go the Memphis model of CIT specialists. My force which has about 4,500 for a population of 1.5 million is going to provide several sessions of training for all sworn members and thus we will be taking a generalist rather than specialist approach. And for us that makes complete sense, a small force, a big state, a small population, it would be counter-productive to use the Memphis model.

Interesting to read the various posts here, I'm involved in developing the mental health training at the moment so it's of interest to me.

Ahh, a topic dear to my heart!!

CIT is non profit organization that trains LE how best to handle offenders who are suffering from mental illness. While there was the example of the guy butchering his wife with a hatchet (of which at that point I believe is above and beyond the training, that guy is a murderer and either belongs in prison or if truly mentally ill, in a forensic hospital).
Here is a link to the one in CT, in fact OK uses the same training module I believe. CABLE - Connecticut Crisis Intervention Team Training (http://cableweb.org/Information/Crisis%20Intervention%20Team%20Training.htm)

When I interned at the Forensic Unit at a mental hospital, I dealt specifically with people arrested for crimes. Usually it was for public intoxication, discon, trespassing, etc. Occasionally we got someone for burglary. There was a another unit for those who committed more serious crimes (sex offenses, [although if deemed not too violent, some came to the unit I was on], even murder). But it seems as though LE are often the ones that have to deal with mentally ill people who are non-compliant with their meds and have no place to go. Therefore, programs like this are good since, as Lawson stated,

these types of individuals are more prone to escalation then perhaps your average hoodlum.

The problem with everything, not just LE, is a lack of funds. Even mental health hosps due to inexperienced and overworked staff and decrease in monies will let certain people out that should not be in the community.



Oh man, I would love to do that!! I should move to LA.


I agree. But I think that having knowledge about psychotic disorders such as Delusional Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder is a good thing.

I completely agree. None of us will be clinicians but it's useful to try and get a bit of information about these diseases. I think for many cops the problem is trying to work out if the subject is suffering a mental illness or is simply zonked out on some sort of chemical. Heck mental health professionals have a problem with that, us cops have no show of being able to work it out at a glance, but we still need to have more info than we (in my jurisdiction) have.

I can care less if you're mentally ill or not. If you pose a threat to me, my partner, or the public, you are going to be dealt with appropriately. Let the tree huggers at the nut house deal with you, it's not my job.

I can care less if you're mentally ill or not. If you pose a threat to me, my partner, or the public, you are going to be dealt with appropriately. Let the tree huggers at the nut house deal with you, it's not my job.

Exactly right. It's our ability to deal appropriately with the subject who we suspect may be mentally ill that's the point. I don't know what it's like where you are but here it seems that the policy of community treatment has, to now, been practised without sufficient support and that means the cops, as usual, are the ones who have to deal with the problems that underfunding of the mental health system creates. No backing away from it, it's our job - not act as clinicians, but to act appropriately and safely and get the subject to treatment or treatment to the subject.

My personal Mental Health Crisis Intervention theory;

1. You have to get into their world; they cannot get into yours.

2. Always have the FBI duty desk number available to give to the "client."


ps As you may be able to discern, I am severely lacking in formal training regarding this issue.

I completely agree. None of us will be clinicians but it's useful to try and get a bit of information about these diseases. I think for many cops the problem is trying to work out if the subject is suffering a mental illness or is simply zonked out on some sort of chemical. Heck mental health professionals have a problem with that, us cops have no show of being able to work it out at a glance, but we still need to have more info than we (in my jurisdiction) have.

Well the symptomatology of being high on drugs and mental illness is very similar. I'm sure you guys all know this but the pupils don't lie: stimulants (methamphetamine and cocaine) and hallucinogens will make them dilated whereas depressants such as opiates make them very constricted like pinpoints.
PCP gives individuals such grandiosity and psychosis that it mimics Schizophrenia. And of course there are substance induced psychoses.

The way to tell the difference between on some sort of drug or whether a person is actually psychotic can only be done by allowing them to "sleep it off". If the psychoses dissipates, then it was most likely due to drugs (tox result will also indicate that) but if a person continues to exhibit psychotic symptoms then its most likely due to mental illness.
Of course, most LE don't have time to do to this. However, I think training in how to perform a mental status exam would help greatly. This is what most clinicians use to asses psychiatric functioning and can be done by nonverbal cues and appearances. But I don't want to :beatdeadhorse5:.

Let the tree huggers at the nut house deal with you, it's not my job.

I hate the assumption that everyone who works with that population are "tree huggers" or "bleeding hearts". While yes, there are some who use patient's illnesses as an excuse for their behavior, there are many that don't. I for one do not believe that just because someone is mentally ill they should be given more room to err.

On this topic I really don't think police officers get enough training in that area. There's always failures of successful performance. You gotta really understand all types of people to excel there.