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Recommendations for Implementation
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a.
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Consult with service providers to evaluate rates of success in engaging people referred by the police.
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Law enforcement agencies should consult with service
providers (including those who focus on minors and victims) to gather
information on the outcome of the police referrals. It is important, as always, that private information about the
individuals seeking treatment be kept confidential. Consulting with providers
serves as an evaluation tool to assess whether services were made available and
accessed following encounters with law enforcement. Agencies should examine
in-house protocols to ensure that referrals were made and to identify other
resource issues.
This consultation can be conducted during routine
partnership meetings where police and mental health practitioners review data
they have collected. It is very
important that these data be presented in the aggregate rather than for each
individual. For example, the law enforcement
representative can provide the number of people who were referred for services,
which can be compared to the mental health representatives' notes on how many
people contacted the service. In this
way, confidentiality is maintained, yet problems with the protocol can be
examined.
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b.
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Analyze police data to identify individuals who have repeat contacts with law enforcement and collaborate with mental health partners to develop long-term solutions.
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A proactive approach is fundamental to the philosophy of
community policing. This involves identifying problem situations and working
with community partners to craft long-term solutions. "Problem" situations involving people with mental
illness are those that result in repeat calls to the police. These situations may not be resolved by
existing protocols, may escalate in seriousness, and require a more in-depth
look into the underlying causes of the problem.
To identify these cases, agencies must review internal
databases designed to capture information on situations involving people with
mental illness. As mentioned previously, some departments review CAD system
data to reveal locations that previously have involved violence or that result
in frequent calls for service. Other agencies review supplemental data forms
collected by crisis intervention teams.
Once the case has been identified, law enforcement
personnel should work closely with their mental health partners to identify the
precise nature of the problem and the possible causes. Together police and mental health providers
can then determine a course of action to help the person avoid further contacts
with the police. It is always preferable for mental health personnel to conduct
follow-up visits, should they be required, although some departments have
paired a mental health professional with an officer who is not in uniform.
Example:
Anne Arundel County (MD) Mobile Crisis Team
Mental health professionals from the Mobile
Crisis Team in Anne Arundel County provide follow up for people with
mental illness who have come in contact with local law enforcement.
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