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AP Lang, 4th
10.18.20

Policing Mental Health

Ruby LaBonty

Mental health is important.​ It is ​as​ ​important​ as staying up to date on vaccines, mending

broken bones, or brushing your teeth. Yet, mental health is often overlooked. It’s personal…

private, but that​ doesn’t mean ​it’s​ ​not​ essential.

Mental health crises are not uncommon… In fact, you might have even responded to one

yourself. The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) defines a crisis as a situation where ​a

person’s behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves, or someone else​. The right kind of

care during a crisis is ​critical​, but it’s often that those experiencing a crisis do not get the care

that they need. Mental health has become an increasingly pressing issue, affecting many people’s

lives every day. According to NAMI, suicide is the ​10th leading cause ​of death in the United

States for people ​ages 10-24, ​and ​18-22​ veterans die by suicide ​every day​. A study done by the

Treatment Advocacy Center reported that mentally ill people are ​sixteen times​ more likely to be

killed in a police encounter than the average civilian… ​sixteen​ ​times.​ ​ As police, ​you​ are faced

with an ​urgent emergency​ that you are not ​YET​ trained to handle.

In order to protect the safety of the community, something new ​must​ be done. The most

promising solution is to respond to these emergencies with a ​Crisis Intervention Team​.

As described by the organization Mental Health America, a crisis intervention team is a

coordinated group of specially trained law enforcement, mental health providers, and community
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members who are focussed on caring for and rehabilitating those who struggle with mental

illness, ​not​ punishing them with the judicial system. Officers would be trained to recognize

mental illness symptoms, taught specialized de-escalation techniques, and familiarized with the

laws involving healthcare. A crisis intervention team would cut down arrests, as well as injury,

and improve trust between the police and the community. A crisis intervention team is a

necessary​ ​addition​ to the police force.

These specialized teams are ​already​ being implemented around the country, and the

results ​are glowing​. For example, from 2011-2016 the Miami-Dade Crisis Intervention Team

had responded to over ​40,000​ calls without ​hospitalization​, ​or arrest,​ as observed by Mental

Health America.

It’s important as police officers to know how to best serve your community, and when a

crisis intervention team is implemented, ​just​ ​that​ ​happens​. It’s crucial that your department

follows the data and creates a way to better care for those who experience a crisis. The results

are more than promising, ​they are real​. Do your part, and care for the ​community.

Thank you

Works Cited:
Navigating a Mental Health Crisis, National Alliance on Mental Health

Police Responses to Persons With Mental Illness: Going Beyond CIT Training, Henry J. Steadman, Ph.D., and David
Morrissette, Ph.D., L.C.S.W.

Responding To Behavioral Health Crises, Mental Health America