Affected third parties can include victims, family members, employers, or others who share a home or part of their lives with people with mental illness.  As in other similar situations, these individuals need a variety of supports and may look to law enforcement for help in accessing resources.  In particular, victims (who may also be family members) should be apprised of the course of action to be taken by law enforcement and mental health agencies, and what they can expect the outcomes of the actions to be.  They should also be made aware of national resources for victim assistance, including the National Organization for Victim Assistance, the National Center for Victims of Crime, and the Office for Victims of Crime.

In many instances, families try to maintain normalcy when dealing with one of their own who has a mental illness. It may be that the incident resulting in police involvement is the first public acknowledgment of mental illness in the home. Or it may be that the incident is the first manifestation that has clarified mental illness as a problem. In any case, the incident may represent the first time the family has reached out for help and thus the first opportunity for necessary supports to be made available to them. It is important, therefore, for police officers and mental health workers to be knowledgeable about the full range of resources that are available for families and others close to the affected person.

For example, police departments and their mental health partners can provide information on peer supports, such as consumer-managed neighborhood projects, drop-in centers, and warmlines, which offer nonemergency support to consumers by telephone.  Regional NAMI affiliate organizations, community chapters of the Depressive and Manic Depressive Association, and local United Way organizations are all good resources for peer support and services. Families may also contact statewide consumer-managed organizations, an example of which is the Tennessee Mental Health Consumer Network.

If police have been called to a home as a result of a threat or threatening action, they should be able to inform family members in the home on ways to protect themselves. Even in instances where the individual is placed in treatment, voluntarily or involuntarily, it can usually be expected that he or she will be at liberty in the community within perhaps a matter of days. Families should be made aware of the process for obtaining a protective order, the associated risks and benefits, as well as what to expect should the order be obtained and violated by the ill family member.

In many instances, of course, members of the family may represent classes given special status or protection under the law. Children of a person with mental illness, for example, may be subject to actions taken by the child protection authorities intended to remove them from the risk of harm. If elderly individuals or spouses have been threatened or harmed, police may be required by law to arrest the individual family member or to notify other authorities. (It should be noted that mental health workers who uncover evidence of elderly, spousal, or child abuse may also be obligated under the law to notify certain authorities.)

Families that report and deal with incidents have great need for support. They may feel isolated and not know where they can turn for information that will help them provide the best care for their relative and for themselves. It is helpful for police to be aware of the resources available to assist families in these situations, such as NAMI. However, it is essential that mental health providers be prepared to provide complete information on support and education resources to families.

In some places, mental health agencies provide classes or resource centers stocked with information for families. More generally, community mental health providers rely on separate nonprofit organizations to provide information and support. Most commonly, these local organizations are affiliated with such previously cited national organizations as NAMI, the National Mental Health Association, or the National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association and are able to offer information and programs developed by these organizations. By meeting and communicating with others who have been through similar situations, families are able to learn skills that will help them to be effective advocates for themselves and for their relatives.

Law enforcement agencies should work with their mental health partners to prepare packets of information on available community-based resources for people with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders and for their families.  These packets should accommodate the full range of cultures and languages present in the community.