Police Departments' Response in Dealing with Persons With Mental Illness

Abstract

Many individuals with serious mental illnesses have limited resources and supports for living successfully in the community. This places many at risk for contact with law enforcement officers and has forced jails and prisons to become providers of psychiatric care. Police departments across the nation have implemented mental health intervention programs to train officers in handling calls involving individuals who are experiencing mental health crises. Although these programs seem to be a plausible strategy to reverse the flow of persons with mental illness into jails and prisons, they may not be enough. This article will examine both the traditional approach and models of specialized response and discuss whether these approaches are sufficient for providing officers the tools they need to assist individuals with mental illnesses.