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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for mentally ill persons
30 results foundAuthor: Gostomski, Amira Title: Vancouver Police Department: police officers' assessment of the effectiveness of the Crisis Intervention Training Program and its impact on their attitudes towards their interactions with persons living with serious mental illness Summary: The purpose of this research was to examine the effectiveness of the Vancouver Police Department's (VPD) Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) course in equipping police personnel with the knowledge and skills to effectively intervene with mental health consumers by encouraging non-violent, non-lethal crisis intervention and the minimal use of force. This study examined 83 (n=83) course evaluation questionnaires completed by the recipients of the CIT course at the VPD, statistical data from the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPPC), and coroner's and media reports of deaths involving the mentally ill that resulted from police encounters. The analysis of the feedback from the CIT course participants revealed their enhanced awareness and knowledge about mental illness as well as an increased confidence in the disposition of skills and techniques learned during the training. The OPCC statistical data indicated a reduced number of complaints filed against the VPD; however no definite conclusions could have been drawn from this data. The analysis of deaths of the mentally ill killed by VPD officers did not reveal a specific trend after the enactment of the CIT course. Results of the study highlighted the necessity for the adoption of the VPD's CIT course model by all of the police departments in the province. Further recommendations for collaboration between law enforcement agencies in the province, mental health resources, and the implementation of various policies related to the CIT course were addressed. Details: Burnaby, BC, Canada: Simon Fraser University, 2012. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed October 15, 2014 at: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/12182 Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/12182 Shelf Number: 133924 Keywords: Crisis InterventionMentally Ill PersonsPolice Crisis Training (Canada)Police Education and TrainingPolice Use of Force |
Author: Camille-McKiness, Kristy Title: Police perspectives on CIT training: An ethnographic study of law enforcement officers' perspectives on Crisis Intervention Team training Summary: This study describes police officers' perspectives of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training. Ethnographic interviews were used to gather data, and Transformational Learning Theory guided this study. Implications of CIT training indicate that CIT officers are a part of a subculture within police culture, and respond differently to mental health calls differently than their non-CIT counterparts. Outcomes of these different response styles include decreased criminalization, decreased injury to officers/consumers, decreased use of force, and increased confidence in responding to mental health calls for officers who are CIT trained. Implications of this study are discussed in relation to sustainability of partnerships between law enforcement officers and mental health professionals Details: DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University, 2013. 129p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed October 15, 2014 at: http://media.proquest.com/media/pq/classic/doc/3120427531/fmt/ai/rep/NPDF?_s=4d20nHVIhLaFyp8xg93RH1x1nVw%3D Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://media.proquest.com/media/pq/classic/doc/3120427531/fmt/ai/rep/NPDF?_s=4d20nHVIhLaFyp8xg93RH1x1nVw%3D Shelf Number: 133917 Keywords: Crisis Intervention TeamCrisis Intervention TrainingMentally Ill PersonsPolice Education and Training |
Author: Victoria. Auditor General Title: Mental Health Strategies for the Justice System Summary: The increasing incidence of people living with mental illness in the community means that justice and health agencies are experiencing significant challenges. There are increasing interactions between people with a mental illness and criminal justice agencies, and a lack of capacity to adequately respond to and manage these needs. Justice and health agencies recognise the importance of addressing mental health issues within the criminal justice system. All have implemented initiatives that aim to improve outcomes, but significant gaps remain. There is currently no overarching strategy or leadership for mental health and the justice system that focuses on improving outcomes for people with a mental illness. Where plans do exist, they are limited to agencies’ own areas of responsibility, or only address parts of the justice system. While there is evidence of agencies working together, this is neither uniform nor sufficiently coordinated to address mental illness effectively. Responsibility for coordinating the agencies is unclear, and there is a lack of accountability for the success or failure of responses across the criminal justice system. This is likely to further limit the effectiveness of coordination, collaboration and planning, as actions rely on individual agencies, their relationships and their ability to take a system-wide perspective. Details: Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer, 2014. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 1, 2015 at: http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/publications/20141015-MH-Strategies-Justice/20141015-MH-Strategies-Justice.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.audit.vic.gov.au/publications/20141015-MH-Strategies-Justice/20141015-MH-Strategies-Justice.pdf Shelf Number: 135125 Keywords: Mental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill Persons |
Author: Boyce, Jillian Title: Mental health and contact with police in Canada, 2012 Summary: Canadians can come into contact with the police for a variety of reasons, not all of which are criminal in nature. Previous research has indicated that most people with a mental health disorder do not commit criminal acts; however, contact with police is common among this population (Brink et al. 2011; Coleman and Cotton 2014). Furthermore, the frequency of such interactions has been said to be on the rise in recent decades given policy and legislative changes (Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division 2005; Vancouver Police Department 2013; Lurigio and Watson 2010). For instance, while the process of deinstitutionalization shifted the treatment of mental health disorders from a hospital setting to a community setting, it has been argued that community based supports may not have expanded at the same capacity to make up for the loss of institutional services, which can leave police as the first responders in crisis situations or after regular health facility hours (Coleman and Cotton 2014; Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division 2005). Information on police interactions with people who have a mental health disorder is a priority for various reasons. Firstly, they can be among the most unpredictable and dangerous situations to which officers must respond, and can be equally, if not more, dangerous for the person with the disorder (Chappell 2008; Kerr et al. 2010; Coleman and Cotton 2014; Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division 2005). Secondly, while the majority of such interactions are handled without harm to the officer or the person with a disorder, these interactions can be quite time-consuming, often utilizing a large portion of resources not only from police services, but from the health and social sectors as well (Lurigio and Watson 2010). Currently in Canada there is no standardized framework or guidelines for collecting data on police interactions with people who have a mental health disorder. While some police services independently publish figures on this subject, much of it is not comparable across the various jurisdictions due to differences in definitions, as well as differences in the methods used to collect the information. In the absence of nationally representative data relating to individuals with a mental health disorder and their contact with police, the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey - Mental Health (CCHS-MH) provides a starting point for filling this gap (see Text Box 1). The 2012 CCHS-MH represents the fourth CCHS cycle with a specialized focus (Statistics Canada 2013). While there was a previous focused cycle in 2002 on the mental health and well-being of Canadians, most disorders measured in the 2012 CCHS-MH are not comparable to the disorders measured by the survey in 2002 (Pearson et al. 2013). In addition, questions about respondents' contact with police were not asked in 2002. This Juristat article utilizes data from the 2012 CCHS-MH to report on the prevalence of mental and/or substance use disorders in Canada in 2012, along with characteristics common among those with a mental or substance use disorder. In addition, it examines in detail the type and frequency of contact that those with a disorder have with police, and how that contact differs from those without a disorder. Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2015. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Juristat 35, no. 1: Accessed June 3, 2015 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14176-eng.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14176-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 135855 Keywords: Mental HealthMentally Ill PersonsPolice Policies and PracticesPolice Services for the Mentally Ill |
Author: Rotter, Merrill Title: Reducing Criminal Recidivism for Justice-Involved Persons with Mental Illness: Risk/Needs/Responsivity and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Summary: Decreased criminal recidivism, particularly resulting from new crimes with new victims, is the measure most consistently desired by programs, policymakers, and funding agencies for justice-involved individuals with mental illness. This one measure captures both improved client stability and public safety, while providing support for the promised decreased jail-day cost savings required to sustain continued financial resources (Almquist, 2009; Milkman, 2007). Evidence-based practices (EBP) with track records of effectiveness in treating serious mental illness, co-occurring substance abuse, trauma, and motivational challenges have been utilized with some success in forensic populations (CMHS National GAINS Center, n.d.). However, recent reviews of offender-focused and jail diversion programs found that many EBPs, such as Assertive Community Treatment, may achieve symptom reduction but not decrease criminal recidivism (Morrissey, 2007; Case, 2009; Skeem, 2009). In fact, studies indicate that offenders with mental illness share diagnoses and treatment needs similar to those of individuals with mental illness who do not commit crimes. However, with reference to recurrent criminal behavior, offenders with mental illness share the same risk factors for offending as their non-mentally ill counterparts (Epperson, 2011). In this document, we review the leading offender recidivism - targeted intervention paradigm: Risk/Needs/Responsivity (RNR). RNR proposes that to address the community behavior of offenders: the intensity of treatment and supervision should match the "Risk" level for re-offense; the treatment provided should match the individual "Needs" most clearly associated with criminality; and the intervention modalities should match those to which the individual is most "Responsive" (Andrews, 2010). In particular, we focus on criminal thinking, one of the identified "needs," and structured cognitive-behavioral interventions from the worlds of criminal justice and mental health that were created or adapted to specifically target the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with criminal recidivism. Details: Rockville, MD: SAMHSA's GAINS Center for Behavioral Health and Justice Transformation, 2013. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed June 3, 2015 at: http://gainscenter.samhsa.gov/cms-assets/documents/141805-776469.cbt-fact-sheet---merrill-rotter.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://gainscenter.samhsa.gov/cms-assets/documents/141805-776469.cbt-fact-sheet---merrill-rotter.pdf Shelf Number: 135866 Keywords: Cognitive-Behavioral TreatmentEvidence-Based PracticesMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill PersonsRecidivism |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: An Integrated Approach to De-Escalation and minimizing Use of Force Summary: Persons with mental illnesses, drug or alcohol addictions, or disorders such as autism can present police officers with difficult challenges. In some cases, a person may brandish a weapon or otherwise appear to pose a threat to the public, to the police, or to himself or herself. The threat may be a real one, or the situation may be less dangerous that it appears, and often it is difficult to assess the level of danger. These situations often are complicated when, because of their conditions, persons cannot communicate effectively with police officers. In some cases, they may appear to be threatening or uncooperative, when in fact they are unable to understand an officer's questions or orders. Many police agencies have recognized the special challenges they face in dealing with these populations of persons with various conditions, and have undertaken specialized training programs designed to teach officers to understand these situations when they happen, and to make special efforts to de-escalate the situations when that is possible. As one recent news report expressed it, "With that mind-set, the officer can use alternative tactics: words instead of guns, questions instead of orders, patience instead of immediate action. The method may not only defuse a tense situation, authorities say, but [also may] result in treatment at a screening center for the suspect rather than weeks in jail." When police fail to understand that they are dealing with a person with a special condition, the result is sometimes a use of force that may be legally and morally justifiable, especially if the person appeared to be threatening the safety of others, but which produces a very unfortunate outcome-a situation that some observers call "lawful, but awful." For police departments, the challenge is to adopt policies and training programs that are designed to improve the handling of these difficult encounters and reduce the chances of force being used unnecessarily. This report summarizes the findings of PERF research on this topic and presentations made at a PERF Summit in Washington, D.C. in February 2012 on "An Integrated Approach to De-Escalation and Minimizing Use of Force." At this one-day meeting, police chiefs and other experts described their experiences on issues such as the following: - How "slowing the situation down" and getting a supervisor to the scene can reduce the chances of violence; - How Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs) and other partnerships with mental health officials can result in more effective handling of encounters with members of special populations; - Identifying "chronic consumers" of police resources and helping them to avoid crisis situations; - Special considerations in dealing with veterans in crisis; - Avoiding overreliance on weapons, such as Electronic Control Weapons, as opposed to hands-on tactics and verbal skills; - Recognizing the real threats to officers that can be posed by persons with mental illnesses or other conditions, and the anxiety that officers feel about such situations; - Training officers in "tactical disengagement"; - The importance of training for officers in these encounters, and practicing strategies to de-escalate volatile situations; - Use-of-force continuums and other tools for discussing use-of-force options; - The defunding of mental health care, and the "cycling" of mentally ill persons through lockups, jails, and prisons; and - The negative impact on a police agency's "legitimacy" that can occur from a "lawful, but awful" event. As in other reports in the Critical Issues Series, we present the discussions from our meeting in the police chiefs' and other experts' own words, in order to convey their insight and experience. Details: Washington, DC: PERF, 2012. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Critical Issues in Policing Series: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Critical_Issues_Series/an%20integrated%20approach%20to%20de-escalation%20and%20minimizing%20use%20of%20force%202012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Critical_Issues_Series/an%20integrated%20approach%20to%20de-escalation%20and%20minimizing%20use%20of%20force%202012.pdf Shelf Number: 136622 Keywords: Crisis InterventionMentally Ill PersonsPolice DiscretionPolice LegitimacyPolice Use of ForcePolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation Title: Evidence on the Effectiveness of GPS Monitoring for Mental Health Forensic Rehabilitation Patients Summary: „h Due to the contemporary nature of GPS monitoring, there is limited evidence available in the published literature about the use and effectiveness of electronic monitoring among mental health forensic rehabilitation patients. „h GPS monitoring was implemented among mental health forensic rehabilitation patients in the United Kingdom in 2010 and in Queensland, Australia in 2012. „h The longest operating example of the use of GPS monitoring among mental health forensic rehabilitation patients is the Buddi system in the United Kingdom. In this case, there is a correlation between the use of electronic monitoring and an increase in unescorted leave and decreased violations during leave. „h Preliminary research findings from the United Kingdom suggest that GPS monitoring deters patients from absconding and can help patients view leave as part of their treatment and progress, as well as an incentive. „h Concerns about the use of GPS monitoring among mental health forensic rehabilitation patients include the potential for increased stigmatization which may negatively impact a patientˇ¦s mental health, treatment and recovery process. Details: Halifax: Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation, 2014. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: http://novascotia.ca/dhw/mental-health/documents/Evidence-Effectiveness-of-GPS-Monitoring-for-Mental-Health-Forensic-Rehabilitation-Patients-Literature-Scan-NSHRF.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://novascotia.ca/dhw/mental-health/documents/Evidence-Effectiveness-of-GPS-Monitoring-for-Mental-Health-Forensic-Rehabilitation-Patients-Literature-Scan-NSHRF.pdf Shelf Number: 136646 Keywords: Electronic Monitoring Electronic Tagging Mentally Ill Offenders Mentally Ill Persons |
Author: Reuland, Melissa Title: Improving Responses to People With Mental Illnesses: Strategies for Effective Law Enforcement Training Summary: In recent years, law enforcement agencies across the country increasingly have collaborated with community partners to design and implement specialized responses to people with mental illnesses. These agencies work closely with mental health practitioners, people with mental illnesses and their family members, representatives of social service agencies, and others who share their goal of improving the outcomes of encounters with people who have mental illnesses. Their specialized law enforcement-based response programs position officers to safely manage these complex encounters and provide a compassionate response that prioritizes treatment over incarceration when appropriate. While variation exists among agencies with these programs, they share a common feature: officers who respond to incidents involving a person with a mental illness receive extensive training for this role. Training enables law enforcement personnel to perform duties required for an effective response. With training, responders better understand mental illnesses and the impact of those illnesses on individuals, families, and communities. They are also better prepared to identify signs and symptoms of mental illnesses; utilize a range of stabilization and de-escalation techniques; and act in full awareness of disposition options, community resources, and legal issues, all of which vary by jurisdiction. Supervisory and support personnel (such as midlevel managers, field training officers, call takers, and dispatchers) also receive training that enables them to assist responders and facilitate the specialized program's operations. Details: New York: Council of State Governments Justice Center, 2008. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2015 at: https://www.bja.gov/Publications/Strategies_%20for_LE_Training.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: https://www.bja.gov/Publications/Strategies_%20for_LE_Training.pdf Shelf Number: 137187 Keywords: Mentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill PersonsPolice Specialized TrainingPolice Training |
Author: Schwarzfeld, Matthew Title: Improving Responses to People With Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law Enforcement-Based Program Summary: Law enforcement officers throughout the country regularly respond to calls for service that involve people with mental illnesses-often without needed supports, resources, or specialized training. These encounters can have significant consequences for the officers, people with mental illnesses and their loved ones, the community, and the criminal justice system. Although these encounters may constitute a relatively small number of an agency's total calls for service, they are among the most complex and time-consuming calls officers must address. At these scenes, front-line officers must stabilize a potentially volatile situation, determine whether the person poses a danger to him- or herself or others, and effect an appropriate disposition that may require a wide range of community supports. In the interests of safety and justice, officers typically take approximately 30 percent of people with mental illnesses they encounter into custody- for transport to either an emergency room, a mental health facility, or jail. Officers resolve the remaining incidents informally, often only able to provide a short-term solution to a person's long-term needs. As a consequence, many law enforcement personnel respond to the same group of people with mental illnesses and the same locations repeatedly, straining limited resources and fostering a collective sense of frustration at the inability to prevent future encounters. In response, jurisdictions across the country are exploring strategies to improve the outcomes of these encounters and to provide a compassionate response that prioritizes treatment over incarceration when appropriate. These efforts took root in the late 1980s, when the crisis intervention team (CIT) and law enforcement-mental health co-response models, described in more detail below, first emerged. Since that time, hundreds of communities have implemented these programs; some have replicated the models, and others have adapted features to meet their jurisdiction's unique needs. Although this number represents only a small fraction of all U.S. communities, there are many indications that the level of interest in criminal justice-mental health collaborative initiatives is surging. Details: New York: Council of State Governments Justice Center, 2008. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2015 at: https://www.bja.gov/Publications/LE_Essential_Elements.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: https://www.bja.gov/Publications/LE_Essential_Elements.pdf Shelf Number: 137188 Keywords: Mental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill PersonsPolice Specialized TrainingPolice Training |
Author: Cloud, David Title: First Do No Harm: Advancing Public Health in Policing Practices Summary: Millions of medically vulnerable and socially marginalized people cycle through the criminal justice system each year due to serious structural problems entrenched in American society. The absence of a coherent and effective social safety net means that people lack access to physical and mental health care, social services, and housing options in their communities. This report, First Do No Harm: Advancing Public Health in Policing Practices, details the cultural divide among system actors that amplify and sustain these problems and offers recommendations on how law enforcement policymakers and practitioners - in collaboration with public health officials and harm reduction advocates - can enhance both public safety and community health. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2015. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 13, 2016 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/public-health-and-policing-v2.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/public-health-and-policing-v2.pdf Shelf Number: 137570 Keywords: Mentally Ill PersonsPolice Policies and PracticesPolice Services for the Mentally IllPublic Health |
Author: Council of State Governments Justice Center Title: Franklin County, Ohio: A County Justice and Behavioral Health Systems Improvement Project Summary: In 2014, the Franklin County (Columbus), Ohio, Criminal Justice Planning Board was selected to serve as a County Justice and Behavioral Health Systems Demonstration Site. Demonstration sites receive in-depth technical assistance from the CSG Justice Center to pursue goals such as increasing public safety, reducing jail costs, and helping connect individuals with mental and substance use disorders to effective community-based health services. Franklin County was selected because of the strength of cooperation between its various criminal-justice-related agencies. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office; the Franklin County Board of Commissioners; the Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Board of Franklin County; the Franklin County Office of Homeland Security and Justice Programs; the Columbus City Attorney's Office; the Franklin County Prosecutor and Public Defender offices; and leadership from the Franklin County Municipal and Common Pleas Courts and Probation departments all worked together on the project. An extensive data analysis coupled with over 50 in-person interviews with local and state leaders led to the identification of key recommendations for reducing the number of people with behavioral health disorders cycling in and out of jail. Details: Lexington, KY: Council of State Government Justice Center, 2015. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 25, 2016 at: https://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/FranklinCountyFullReport.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://csgjusticecenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/FranklinCountyFullReport.pdf Shelf Number: 137648 Keywords: Mental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill Persons |
Author: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Title: Vulnerable Young People: Interactions across homelessness, youth justice and child protection Summary: This report reveals that individuals who experience multiple, cross-sector services in the specialist homelessness, protection or youth justice service areas are a particularly vulnerable group. Clients experiencing 2 or more of these services were more likely than specialist homelessness services-only clients: to report having substance use issues; to report having mental health issues; to have an over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and to receive more days of support and more support periods from specialist homelessness services agencies. Details: Canberra: AIHW, 2016. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 13, 2016 at: http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129557799 Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129557799 Shelf Number: 146102 Keywords: At-Risk YouthChild ProtectionDisadvantaged YouthHomeless YouthHomelessnessMental Health ServicesMentally Ill Persons |
Author: New York (City). Mayor's Task Force on Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Title: First Status Report Summary: December of 2014, the de Blasio administration released the action plan developed by the Mayor's Task Force on Behavioral Health and the Criminal Justice System. The action plan outlines a comprehensive blueprint to continue to drive down crime while also reducing the number of people with behavioral health issues who cycle through the criminal justice system. The recommendations of the Task Force focus on ensuring that, when appropriate, individuals with behavioral health disorders: - do not enter the criminal justice system in the first place; - if they do enter, that they are treated outside of a jail setting; - if they are in jail, that they receive treatment that is therapeutic rather than punitive in approach; and - upon release, they are connected to effective services. Over the last twenty years, New York City has experienced the sharpest drop in crime anywhere in the nation. As crime has fallen so has the City's jail population - on the last day of 2014, there were fewer than 10,000 individuals detained at Rikers for the first time since 1984. New York City has one of the lowest jail detention rates of any city in the country: 1.15 per every 1,000 residents. Despite our success in reducing the overall jail population, the number of people with behavioral health issues has stayed largely constant, with individuals with behavioral health issues comprising a bigger and bigger percentage of the total number incarcerated. While in FY 2010, people with mental illness were only 29% of the NYC jail population, today they represent 38% of the overall jail population; approximately 7% of the jail population is made up of individuals with serious mental illness, and approximately 46% of inmates in the NYC jail system report that they are active substance users, although we believe the actual prevalence of substance use to be much higher. Many justice-involved individuals with behavioral health needs cycle through the system over and over again, often for low-level offenses. For example, approximately 400 individuals have been admitted to jail more than 18 times in the last five years. This same group accounted for more than 10,000 jail admissions and a collective 300,000 days in jail. ii While we have been demonstrably successful in reducing crime and incarceration in many areas, the issue of how to address the needs of people with behavioral health issues remains a stubborn question that the Task Force set out to solve. The Task Force worked to ensure that we establish the systems to address appropriately the risk and needs this population presents. Over 100 days, the Task Force developed 24 interlocking public health and public safety strategies that address each point in the criminal justice system and the overlap among those points. Recognizing the interdependent and intersecting nature of the behavioral health and criminal justice systems, the Task Force identified five major points of contact: on the street, from arrest through disposition, inside jail, during release and re-entry, and back in the community. The comprehensive strategy developed by the Task Force is backed by evidence and informed by widespread expertise. These are complicated issues, and while some of the elements of this action plan represent immediate steps, they are the first steps of a broader strategy that is long-term and ongoing. It will ensure that we continue to drive New York City's crime rate even lower by reliably assessing who poses a public safety risk and ensuring that we appropriately address - not just at arrest, but well before and well after - the behavioral health issues that have led many into contact with the criminal justice system. Details: New York: The Task Force, 2014. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2017 at: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/criminaljustice/downloads/pdfs/BHTF_StatusReport.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/criminaljustice/downloads/pdfs/BHTF_StatusReport.pdf Shelf Number: 146596 Keywords: Jail InmatesMental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill Persons |
Author: McConnell, Polly Title: Mental Health and Learning Disabilities in the Criminal Courts: Information for magistrates, district judges and court staff Summary: In his review into people with mental health conditions or learning disabilities in the criminal justice system, Lord Bradley highlighted the importance of mental health and learning disability awareness training for criminal justice staff including members of the judiciary. The Magistrates' Association supports this need for information and training. This resource has been produced primarily for magistrates. It is also useful for district judges, legal advisers and ushers. It provides information about some of the common characteristics of mental health conditions and learning disabilities, and highlights how members of the judiciary and court staff might deal with adult defendants with these conditions. Members of the judiciary and court staff are not expected to diagnose mental health conditions or learning disabilities, neither is it their role to provide welfare services to defendants. They do, however, have a responsibility to raise concerns about defendants who they think might be vulnerable. This resource provides an overview of the signs to be aware of that may indicate that someone has a mental health condition or a learning disability. Having a feeling that 'something isn't quite right', or thinking that a defendant is behaving oddly, is enough justification to ask for more information about that defendant. Asking for more information about a defendant can happen at any point during court proceedings. All defendants have the right to a fair trial. There are some defendants who are vulnerable and might need additional support. This could be due to their age or developmental immaturity, for example, child defendants, or due to particular conditions such as learning disabilities and mental health conditions. The Consolidated Criminal Practice Direction (CCPD) (2011) Treatment of vulnerable defendants notes that: 'children and young persons under 18 or adults who suffer from a mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983 or who have any other significant impairment of intelligence and social function .. are referred to collectively as 'vulnerable defendants'. People with mental health conditions or learning disabilities are not homogenous groups with identical experiences and needs. They are individuals with a wide range of different life experiences, strengths, weaknesses and support needs. Many, however, will share some common characteristics, which might make them especially vulnerable in court. People can experience mild to severe conditions and this will affect the level of support they might need. This resource draws on prevalence data from different research studies, all of which produced statistically significant results. Nonetheless, they show some differences, largely due to different research methodologies. Despite these variations, it is clear that high numbers of people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities routinely appear in the criminal courts. The primary focus of this resource is vulnerable adult defendants. However, much of what is covered will apply also to child defendants and vulnerable witnesses in the criminal court. Details: London: Prison Reform Trust, 2013. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed August 22, 2017 at: http://www.mhldcc.org.uk/media/493/rmi_prt_mhldcc_sept2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.mhldcc.org.uk/media/493/rmi_prt_mhldcc_sept2013.pdf Shelf Number: 131716 Keywords: Criminal CourtsLearning DisabilitiesMentally Disabled PersonsMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill Persons |
Author: Heslop, Lisa Title: Trends in Police Contact with Persons with Mental Illness Summary: Since the 1960s, one worrying offshoot of de‐institutionalization of mental health services has been a marked increase in contact between persons with mental illness (PMI) and the criminal justice system. The criminalization of PMI is well documented. Police contact with PMI is much higher than the prevalence of mental illness in the population; police use informal disposition less frequently with PMI; PMI have a higher arrest rate than the general population and PMI are arrested and jailed for relatively minor offences at a higher rate than their non‐mentally ill counter-parts. When the process of de‐institutionalization was announced in 1999, the London Police Service collaborated with researchers from the University of Western Ontario, the London Health Sciences Centre, and key community‐based service providers to track and explore unintended consequences of de‐institutionalization from the perspective of contact between the police and PMI. This project received initial funding from the Donner Foundation and later formed the basis for the Consortium of Applied Research and Evaluation in Mental Health (CAREMH), funded by the Change Foundation in 2003. The premise of this project was that a lack of community-based services for people with mental illness places an increased demand upon police whose powers are based within two legal principles: 1. the police power function - to ensure the safety and welfare of the public, and 2. parens patriae, which involves protection of disabled citizens. Application of these principles is not intended to be therapeutic and therein lies the inherent problem of increased contact between the police and persons with mental illness Details: London, Ontario: [London Police Service, 2013. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2017 at: http://capg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Trends-in-Police-Contact-with-Persons-with-Mental-Illness-Report-for-LPSB-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://capg.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Trends-in-Police-Contact-with-Persons-with-Mental-Illness-Report-for-LPSB-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 147604 Keywords: Mental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill PersonsPolice Services for the Mentally Ill |
Author: Coleman, Terry Title: TEMPO: Police Interactions. A report towards improving interactions between police and people living with mental health problems Summary: In 2008 the MHCC conducted a review of the basic/recruit training, which occurs primarily at Canadian police colleges/academies, concerning interactions with people with mental illnesses. To complement that study, in 2010, the MHCC conducted a review that examined the nature and extent of such police training and education at the in-service or continuing education level within Canadian police organizations. Based on these reviews, an aspirational model of police education and training - TEMPO (Training and Education about Mental Illness for Police Organizations) - was developed, described, and disseminated. The purpose of the present report is to review progress since that time. Notwithstanding the nature and seriousness of individual interactions between police and people with mental illnesses, it is widely accepted that there are too many. While most will never garner attention on the front page of a newspaper, for the people involved all incidents are serious and potentially traumatic. How do we ensure that police personnel are well prepared to deal with these potentially difficult situations? This report will provide assistance in achieving that. This report is focused on police education and training, rather than on the broader systems and policies that affect interactions between police and people with mental illnesses; it addresses education and training in the broadest sense. The report places an emphasis on HOW we should teach as well as what we should teach, given the many developments in the field of adult education and curriculum design. Details: Ottawa: Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2014. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2017 at: https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/sites/default/files/TEMPO%252520Police%252520Interactions%252520082014_0.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/sites/default/files/TEMPO%252520Police%252520Interactions%252520082014_0.pdf Shelf Number: 147612 Keywords: Mentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill PersonsPolice Education and TrainingPolice Policies and PracticesPolice Use of Force |
Author: Torrey, E. Fuller Title: Treat or Repeat: A State Survey of Serious Mental Illness, Major Crimes and Community Treatment Summary: Individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes represent 2% of the estimated 8.2 million individuals with a severe psychiatric disease in the United States. Although this is a small segment of the total population, research shows that, without treatment, these individuals are at heightened risk of being re-arrested after their release from jail or prison or discharge from a forensic hospital. Because the timely and effective treatment of individuals with the most severe mental illness is the focus of its mission, the Treatment Advocacy Center conducted a survey of selected state systems and structures available to individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes. The states were graded from A to F based on the availability and comprehensiveness of these practices. The result, Treat or Repeat: A State Survey of Serious Mental illness, Major Crimes and Community Treatment, finds this population is often overlooked in programming and funding decisions. The report recommends prioritizing evidence-based treatment to reduce re-arrest of individuals with serious mental illness who have a history of violence. Top Takeaway Evidence-based programs for individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes allow individuals to succeed in the community following reentry from jail or prison or after discharge from a forensic psychiatric bed by providing complete and intensive treatment. However, no state in the United States utilizes them comprehensively or effectively. Fast Facts No state received an A grade. The majority of states do not provide adequate support in the community for individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes, resulting in higher re-arrest rates and all the attendant human and economic costs of re-incarceration. Evidence-based programs can reduce the risk of re-arrest for individuals with serious mental illness living in the community from an average rate of 40%-60% to only 10% or less. The four states that received the best grades under this study - Hawaii, Maine, Missouri and Oregon - are all models that other states should look to for various aspects of their successful programming. Other states with exemplar programs and practices were also identified. Recommendations Federal, state and local governments must create policies to stop the criminalization of individuals with serious mental illness. Federal, state and local governments must prioritize treatment for individuals with serious mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system. State and local governments must implement evidence-based treatment programs for individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes. Researchers and government agencies must conduct research and evaluate programs for individuals with serious mental illness who have committed major crimes to inform best-practices. Details: Arlington, VA: Treatment Advocacy Center, 2017. 131p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2017 at: http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/storage/documents/treat-or-repeat.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/storage/documents/treat-or-repeat.pdf Shelf Number: 147987 Keywords: Evidence-Based ProgramsMental HealthMental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill PersonsRecidivism |
Author: Wiebe, Daryl Title: Vancouver Police Mental Health Strategy: A comprehensive approach for a proportional police response to persons living with mental illness Summary: The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) has been proactive over the past 30 years regarding incidents involving mental health, implementing a number of programs and initiatives to improve outcomes relating to police interactions with persons living with mental illness. In 1978, the VPD implemented 'Car 87,' an integrated response model partnering a police officer with a mental health professional. That program continues today, and has served as a model for many other police agencies to copy. It has been further augmented with other initiatives to focus on youth and chronic offenders, and more specialized mental health programs. Over the past five years, the VPD has publicly reported on the dramatic increase in the incidence of police interactions with persons living with mental illness (see Appendix - A). There has also been a number of high-profile incidences of violent crime associated with an apparent mental health factor, highlighting gaps in the continuum of care and in the system generally. That is not to say that mental illness is a causal factor in violent crime. Rather, persons living with mental illness are more likely to be a victim of crime, rather than the perpetrator. These drivers have led to the VPD enhancing its service delivery and actively participating in broader multi-disciplinary teams, with health care providers, to deliver proper community-based mental health support for those in need. While these initiatives have all proven valuable in terms of client needs and reduced police interaction, and can each be supported as effective through evidence-based research, a broader Mental Health Strategy will serve as an overarching approach for the VPD. It is intended to account for the significant impact that can result from persons living with mental illness coming into contact with the police, and set forth a framework on how the VPD models its interaction with this segment of the population. In addition, it is important to acknowledge that most mental-health-related calls to the police involve persons with concurrent disorders - a mental illness and substance abuse problems. This Mental Health Strategy is framed around the core values of the VPD, and the principles of justification, proportionality and intrusiveness. It is designed to provide clear and concise information about the VPD's position and intent, and to serve as a framework to support operational deployment, organizational partnerships, education and training initiatives, and a commitment to the community relative to its interactions with persons living with mental illness. Finally, this Mental Health Strategy was not developed in isolation. The VPD has consulted with partners in the mental health community, in an effort to include their perspectives on this jointly-shared social challenge. Input was received from numerous stakeholders and partner organizations, including Vancouver Coastal Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the City of Vancouver, and mental health professionals from St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital, and UBC Psychiatry. In addition, a consultation session with the Persons with Lived Experience Committee, Mayor's Task Force on Mental Health and Addiction resulted in meaningful feedback from this affected population. Details: Vancouver, BC: Vancouver Police Department, 2016. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2018 at: http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/mental-health-strategy.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Canada URL: http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/mental-health-strategy.pdf Shelf Number: 149708 Keywords: Mental HealthMentally Ill PersonsPolice Policies and PracticesPolice Services for the Mentally Ill |
Author: Adelman, Judith Title: Study in Blue and Grey: Police Interventions with People with Mental Illness: A Review of Challenges and Responses Summary: Police throughout North America are responding to a significant number of 911 calls involving people who have a mental illness. In the vast majority of incidents, such calls are resolved without incident. However, sometimes the results are the death or injury of the police officer, the person who is ill, and/or another person. When this happens it has prolonged negative effects on the individuals and communities involved. When lives are lost, they cannot be reclaimed. Whether the result is injury or death, it has longstanding implications for the persons with mental illness, the family, police, and to all who survive the incident. In October 2000, the BC Chief Coroner issued a report following an inquest. A man who was distressed and suffering from a mental illness began acting violently in the emergency department of a BC hospital. The police were called and as a result of the police action, the man was killed. The Coroner made a number of recommendations to various governments Ministries. One of the Coroner's many recommendations was that police be provided training with respect to dealing with people with a mental illness in a non-confrontational manner. Because people are so complex and situations can vary so significantly, it may not be possible to get to the point where there are no injuries or deaths. However, the common vision requires that we look for ways to reduce injury and death by improving the responses of the police and mental health systems while recognizing already-existing, effective programs that make a difference. Currently, there are a number of key reform initiatives in various locations in North America. This paper is intended to build on that work by providing relevant information regarding these initiatives that would enable the partners within the mental health and criminal justice systems here in BC to plan more effectively, and to improve their system of response to people with mental illness who are in crisis. The specific objectives of the project are to: - Find out what kind of training is offered to police in different jurisdictions to determine the common program elements, and to attempt to identify the most effective components - Review the literature to determine what service delivery models are being used by police in various jurisdictions to intervene in crises - Determine the impacts of the various programs: for example, whether they reduce injuries, are helpful to people with mental illness and to police etc. - Examine recommendations from reviews of police actions - Determine key aspects and key strategies for implementation; that is, those key factors that contribute to the establishment of effective intervention programs This report relies on published research and reports, as well as interviews with individuals who work for or with police departments, including mental health professionals. It also includes information gained from Coroner's reports and interviews with individuals who participated in inquiries. Part One of the report looks at the nature of the problem. It begins in Section A by looking at why more people with a mental illness are coming into contact with the police, describing a number of factors that have contributed to this trend, including changes in the mental health delivery system, changes within the police force and the move towards 'community policing.' Then, in Section B, the report looks at some of the factors that create barriers to effective police response to persons with mental illness. Next, Section C looks at two key issues that have resulted from this state of affairs: criminalization and injury or death of persons with mental illness (as well as serious personal consequences for the police officers involved). The report then examines the factors that have caused police to change their practices. In Part Two, we look at solutions. Section A of Part Two looks at different models of police programs that were developed to assist individuals who are in psychiatric crisis, and identifies the common issues that each program addresses in various ways. Section B looks at available outcome research, including the relative strengths and weaknesses of the models. In Part 3 we look at conclusions and recommendations for action in British Columbia Details: Vancouver: Canadian Mental Health Association, 2003. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2018 at: https://cmha.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/policereport.pdf Year: 2003 Country: Canada URL: https://cmha.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/policereport.pdf Shelf Number: 149740 Keywords: Mentally Ill PersonsPolice Services for the Mentally IllPolice TrainingPolice-Citizen Interactions |
Author: Coleman, Terry Title: Police Interactions with Persons with a Mental Illness: Police Learning in the Environment of Contemporary Policing Summary: n recent decades, the number of interactions between people with mental illnesses and police has increased significantly. While most of these interactions are minor in nature and are resolved uneventfully, there are unfortunately a few which result in significant negative outcomes. Whenever this is the case, one of the most frequent recommendations which has emerged from reviews is that police officers should be provided with education and training - learning - in order to give them the skills and knowledge necessary to interact adaptively with people with mental illnesses (PMI). This paper is Part II of a two-part review of that learning; Part I was a review of police education and training at the police academy basic training level. The purpose of the current investigation, Part II, was to review the state of police in-service education and training related to police/PMI interactions. A review of current practice in a variety of jurisdictions across Canada as well as in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, suggests that there is considerable variability in existing programs. While many police agencies provide little or no learning in this area, others provide more comprehensive education varying in length from a few hours to several days. The content of the training varies from an overview considered appropriate for a wide variety of police officers up to and including highly focused training intended for specialist officers. While some police services provide 'one-size-fits-all' training, others deliver a variety of levels and degrees of learning. Unfortunately, in spite of the widespread acceptance of programs such as the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model, which originated in Memphis, Tennessee, there is little outcome research or data-based evidence to inform the exact nature of an effective program, and the research that does exist does not provide guidance as to which components of a learning program are most effective. Nevertheless, the existing research tends to support the contention that education and training is effective in improving outcomes overall. Even though, the primary purpose of the paper is to provide an overview of what is delivered and what should be delivered in terms of curricula related to mental illness, it would be inappropriate to discuss curriculum without considering the greater context. While education and training is of course essential to ensuring that interactions between police and PMI are constructive and adaptive, education in and of itself is not a panacea and will not create the kind of change that is desirable if it occurs in isolation. Thus, before identifying 'desired practices' in terms of curriculum, it is necessary to comment on the circumstance within which this learning should occur. First, every police officer operates within the context of his/her own organization. Therefore, it is essential that each police organization have in place policies and procedures that support the application of the skills and knowledge that police acquire through education and training. For example, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has promulgated the Contemporary Policing Guidelines for Working with the Mental Health System. The Guidelines outline a series of processes and policies that should ideally be in place in any police agency in order to inform and support the work of not only individual police officers but of all police personnel who encounter PMI. In addition to these policies and procedures, each police organization must also be guided by knowledge about the police academy training that their officers bring to the workplace. As has been noted in a previous survey (Part I), police academies vary significantly in terms of the type and extent of learning at the basic-training level. In many cases, such academy level training has only been in place in recent years; thus, police officers who have been employed longer will not have had the benefit of that training. Second, while the specific content of a mental-illness related curriculum is of course crucial, it is not the only determinant of successful learning. It is necessary that police agencies attend to a variety of other factors that will have a direct impact on the learning outcome. These include: - selection of appropriate 'trainers,' including those who are both subject matter experts and who are operationally credible; - inclusion of local mental health professionals, for the purposes of providing reliable information as well as to assist in forming local connections with mental health agencies; - integration of PMI and their families into the training in order to provide direct first-hand experience with this population; - use of a variety of forms of learning media including participatory strategies; - focus on cognitive determinants of behaviour including attitudes, exercise of discretion and stigma; and adaptability of the curriculum to reflect the population receiving training (e.g. new officers versus specialized teams versus dispatch personnel) as well as local community needs. By extracting components from a variety of education and training regimes already in place in Canada and other countries, and then combining them with what can be gleaned from outcome research, a comprehensive education and training regime based on an identified learning spectrum emerges; one that can be adapted to a variety of police agencies and police personnel. The proposed learning model has been entitled TEMPO - an acronym for Training and Education about Mental Illness for Police Officers. Details: Ottawa: Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2010. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed April 17, 2018 at: https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/sites/default/files/Law_Police_Interactions_Mental_Illness_Report_ENG_0_1.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Canada URL: https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/sites/default/files/Law_Police_Interactions_Mental_Illness_Report_ENG_0_1.pdf Shelf Number: 149842 Keywords: Mentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill PersonsPolice Education and TrainingPolice Policies and PracticesPolice Use of Force |
Author: Illinois Mental Health Opportunities for Youth Division Task Force Title: Stemming the Tide: Diverting Youth With Mental Health Conditions from the Illinois Juvenile Justice System Summary: All young people deserve the resources and support needed to secure both physical and mental health. But unfortunately, in Illinois youth are being thrust into our criminal justice system without regard to their mental health needs. While the overall number of youth who are jailed or incarcerated in Illinois has declined over the last few years, those living with mental health conditions are still entering the criminal justice system at higher rates. Of the thousands of youth arrests and admissions to local jails in Illinois each year, approximately 70 percent meet diagnostic criteria for having a mental health condition, and at least 20 percent live with a serious mental health condition. In 2017, the General Assembly created the Illinois Mental Health Opportunities for Youth Diversion Task Force-including experts from the Shriver Center-to develop an action plan for implementing new or expanded diversion programs aimed at youth living with mental health conditions. The Task Force's new report, Stemming the Tide, lays out a roadmap to build a better system in Illinois and help kids get the support they need. This requires a shift toward community-based mental health services, not only to improve outcomes for our youth but so Illinois can focus greater attention on violent offenders and improve public safety. With these improvements, youth with mental health conditions can get on the road to recovery that helps prevent further contact with the justice system and return to school, work, and family. Details: Chicago: NAMI, 2018. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2018 at: http://povertylaw.org/files/docs/stemming-the-tide-final.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: http://povertylaw.org/files/docs/stemming-the-tide-final.pdf Shelf Number: 150054 Keywords: Juvenile DiversionJuvenile Justice SystemsJuvenile OffendersMental IllnessMentally Ill OffendersMentally Ill Persons |
Author: Fischer, Aaron J. Title: Suicides in San Diego County Jail: A System Failing People with Mental Illness Summary: San Diego County faces a crisis in its jail system. It has the highest reported number of suicides in a California jail system over several years - more than 30 suicide deaths since 2010. The inmate suicide rate has been many times higher than the rate in similarly sized county jails in California, the State prison system, and jails nationally. This is a crisis demanding meaningful action. While the County reported just one inmate suicide in 2017, which is a welcome decrease compared to previous years, the system remains deeply challenged. The incidence of inmate suicide attempts and serious self-harm remains extremely high - a rate of approximately two (2) per week. The frequency of suicide attempts indicates that the County must improve its treatment of people with mental health needs. Recognition that San Diego County has a problem with suicides and other deaths at the jail is not new. There has been a steady drumbeat of calls to action, from the County's grand juries, the media, and people who have been incarcerated at the jail and their loved ones. As the designated protection and advocacy system charged with protecting the rights of people with disabilities in California, Disability Rights California (DRC) opened an investigation into conditions at the San Diego County jails in 2015. We conducted tours of the County's jail facilities, and completed extensive interviews with Sheriff's Department leadership, jail staff, and jail inmates. We have reviewed thousands of pages of relevant policies and procedures, Sheriff's Department records, and individual inmate records. Our investigation focuses on four interconnected aspects of San Diego's County jail and mental health systems. We provide specific Recommendations regarding each. Over-Incarceration of People with Mental Health Needs. First, we found that there is an extremely high number of jail inmates with significant mental health treatment needs. The County's mental health care system, both inside and outside of the jail, has long operated in a way that leads to the dangerous, costly, and counter-productive over-incarceration of people with mental health-related disabilities. This includes a historical failure to provide sufficient community-based mental health services and supports that help individuals with mental health needs to thrive and avoid entanglement with the criminal justice system and incarceration. There is an urgent need for a better approach. We found that the County's recently developed Mental Health Services Act Plan and related initiatives - including increased community based-services and diversion/reentry efforts - provide a reason for optimism. Of course, the County's efforts will be judged on outcomes in the months and years ahead. Deficiencies in Suicide Prevention. Second, our two subject matter experts, who reviewed inmate suicide cases as well as relevant policies, identified significant deficiencies in the County's suicide prevention practices. These experts, Karen Higgins, M.D., and Robert Canning, Ph.D., CCHP, have considerable expertise in suicide prevention and mental health treatment in detention facilities. They have completed a detailed written report (Appendix A), which identifies twenty-four (24) Key Deficiencies in the County's system and provides forty-six (46) Recommendations to address those deficiencies. While we are convinced that the Sheriff's Department has begun to take the issue of suicide prevention seriously, there remain many aspects of the system's treatment of people at risk of suicide that require urgent action. Failure to Provide Adequate Mental Health Treatment. Third, we found that the County's jail system subjects inmates with mental health needs to a grave risk of psychological and other harms by failing to provide adequate mental health treatment. Making matters worse, the County subjects inmates to dangerous solitary confinement conditions that take an enormous toll on individuals' mental health and well-being. A substantial number of the suicides in San Diego County's jails have occurred in designated segregation units and other units with solitary confinement conditions. Even with committed jail leadership and staff efforts to reduce solitary confinement and improve conditions, insufficient staffing and lack of other critical resources have caused these problems to persist. Lack of Meaningful, Independent Oversight. Fourth, we found that the existing systems of jail oversight have failed. The time has come for the County to create an independent and professional oversight entity to monitor jail conditions, suicide prevention and mental health treatment practices, and other jail operations. A truly effective independent oversight entity, building on the models developed in Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County, Sonoma County, and other jurisdictions across the country, would enhance the County's efforts to address its historical challenges in its jails, help to achieve and solidify system improvements, and strengthen the trust of the community through greater transparency. We have found that the County's jails have the great advantage of committed mental health staff and a number of strong leaders within the Sheriff's Department. They will need sustained investment and support from the County - along with true transparency and accountability - to achieve a durable solution to the inmate suicide crisis, the deficiencies in mental health treatment inside the jail, and the over-incarceration of people with mental health needs. Details: Sacramento: Disability Rights California, 2018. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2018 at: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/system/files/file-attachments/SDsuicideReport.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/system/files/file-attachments/SDsuicideReport.pdf Shelf Number: 150114 Keywords: Jail InmatesJail SuicidesMental Health ServicesMentally Ill InmatesMentally Ill PersonsSuicides |
Author: Frankham, Emma Title: Victim or Villain? Racial/ethnic differences in the portrayal of individuals with mental illness killed by police Summary: Using an intersectional approach toward race/ethnicity and mental illness, this paper examines racial/ethnic differences in how 301 individuals with mental illness killed by police during 2015 and 2016 were portrayed in news reports. Content analysis indicates that frames that portray individuals as being victims of mental illness are most common in news reports about Whites, while African-Americans are most likely to be portrayed as victims of police actions. Graphic content is much more prevalent in news reports about African-Americans, serving as a visceral reminder of the actions of police.Hispanics are most likely to be portrayed as 'villains' through discussions of substance use, criminal records, and expressions of support for police. Implications of the findings are discussed in the context of theory on the attribution of personal responsibility and the portrayal of 'victims' and 'villains' crime news, as well as research on the portrayal of individuals with mental illness and racial/ethnic minorities in crime news. Details: Unpublished paper, 2018. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2018 at: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/v8fbx Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/v8fbx Shelf Number: 150138 Keywords: Deadly ForceMass MediaMentally Ill PersonsPolice Use of ForceRacial Disparities |
Author: Frankham, Emma Title: Culpability Without Power: Nonprofit Narratives Relating to Calling Police in a Mental Health Crisis Summary: While police are often the first responders to mental health crises, little is known about the advice available to people regarding the decision to call police. The author analyzes advice published by thirty-six mental health advocacy organizations. An overarching theme is what the author terms `culpability without power': those who initiate police contact are framed as being culpable for the actions of police, despite also being portrayed as powerless in these situations. Further, the advice provided varies dependent on whether a nonprofit has a contractual relationship with state government(s) in the provision of police mental health training. Details: Working paper, 2018. Source: Internet Resource: accessed May 10, 2018 at: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/3s8kq/ Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/3s8kq/ Shelf Number: 150139 Keywords: First RespondersMentally Ill PersonsPolice Services for the Mentally IllPolice Training |
Author: Vars, Fredrick E. Title: Slipping Through the Cracks? The Impact of Reporting Mental Health Records to the National Firearm Background Check System Summary: Both sides of the contentious debate over firearm regulation agree that some people with mental illness should be prohibited from purchasing firearms. This consensus exists despite limited empirical support. Such support will be essential to courts deciding the prohibition's constitutionality. We assess the impact on homicide and suicide of states reporting mental health records to the national firearm background check system. Using panel data and a difference-in-differences methodology, we find that upon adding mental health records to the national system, states experienced a 3.3-4.3% decrease in firearm-related suicides with no evidence of substitution to non-firearm suicides. Our findings suggest that mental health restrictions on gun sales do effectively reduce suicide but not homicide. Details: Unpublished paper, 2018. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: U of Alabama Legal Studies Research Paper No. 3127786: Accessed May 16, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3127786 Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3127786 Shelf Number: 150244 Keywords: Firearm Background ChecksGun Control PolicyHomicidesMentally Ill PersonsSuicides |
Author: St. Mungo's Title: On my own two feet: Why do some people return to rough sleeping after time off the streets? Summary: This report describes the findings from a smallscale, exploratory, qualitative research project that considered the question 'why do some people return to sleeping rough after time off the streets?' The research was conducted by a group of peer researchers, through the St Mungo's Recovery College. The researchers were people who had experienced homelessness; many had slept rough in London and elsewhere. The researchers worked in partnership with the St Mungo's Research Manager to co-produce the research. The team worked together to design the research question, data collection instruments and sampling frame, to conduct interviews and focus groups with St Mungo's clients and staff, to identify themes for analysis and to shape the final report. We identified four key areas for analysis: push factors; pull factors; holes in the safety net; access to services. We have categorised the things people told us, and we have tried to represent them without bias or prejudice. We recognise, however, that life is messy and our categories are imposed by us onto our data. We wish to emphasise that all of these things act together to create pressure on a person. Some push factors will be enough on their own to cause a person to leave. Others will have a small effect on their own, but grow and multiply over time to have a bigger impact. Many of the people we spoke to described experiencing more than one push factor either all at the same time or on different occasions. The push factors we heard about include: - Being evicted (for rent arrears or for behaviour) or leaving temporary shelters when they close. - Being asked to leave after relationship breakdown (partner or family). - Leaving prison after a sentence or being held on remand. - Leaving accommodation because it didn't meet needs (e.g. no couples, no pets) or was poor quality. - Leaving because of noise or anti-social behaviour, or excessive rules and regulations. - Leaving informal accommodation (sofasurfing) because of being asked to leave or feeling like a burden. - Leaving accommodation because of isolation and loneliness. - Escaping criminal victimisation (e.g. abuse or tenancy hijack). Although rough sleeping is dangerous and unpleasant, there are nonetheless things which draw people back. The pull factors we heard about include: - Feeling competent in survival (compared to feeling incompetent managing a tenancy). - Knowing (how) you can meet your basic needs. - Feeling 'addicted' to the streets. - Freedom of living life free from rules/ constraints. - Life on the streets is busy and interesting (compared to boredom or loneliness or lack of occupation in accommodation).- Having people around (other rough sleepers, and members of the public showing care).- Being pulled back to dangerous/abusive relationships. When push factors and pull factors work together, they can exert an irresistible pressure on someone, leading to them 'choosing' to return to rough sleeping, or seeing no alternative when a crisis comes along. Successful solutions to repeated rough sleeping must recognise both push and pull factors, otherwise they will fail to equip people to resist this pressure. Holes in the safety net are the missing protective factors that - if present - could help prevent a person returning to rough sleeping. They may not trigger rough sleeping episodes, but combine to weaken someone's protection from it, so when a crisis or trigger happens, they are less able to avoid returning to the streets. Holes in the safety net include:- Having survived rough sleeping before.- Lacking a social network with resources to help (either having exhausted that option, or not having a family or friends who can help).- Trauma and unmet health needs, and lack of support with these.- Difficulties maintaining a tenancy (and lack of support with this), and not knowing legal rights.- Inability to secure a new tenancy (no deposit, landlords won’t take you, council won't house you). Our research suggests that people who have slept rough before, are living in poverty and who do not have strong networks are at risk of returning to the streets when faced with a crisis, because they are less able to deal with problems that arise. We also asked people about their experience of accessing services to help prevent or resolve rough sleeping. We found that accessing services to help can be hard. Some of the things that stop people successfully getting help include: • Demands are too high (e.g. around punctuality, abstinence, distance to travel).- Inconsistency from service providers (including not providing support they should).- Having experienced rejection in the past (potentially triggering memories of past trauma). Conversely, the characteristics of positive support are: - 'Unconditional positive regard' (being optimistic and believing in someone). - Flexibility and informality.- Developing trust. We have identified a number of recommendations that would help prevent people from returning to rough sleeping after time off the streets. These grouped in four categories: access to good quality, appropriate and secure accommodation; access to support to rebuild lives after rough sleeping; specific support for issues relating to criminal victimisation and offending; and further research. Details: London: St. Mungo's, 2018. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 9, 2018 at: https://www.mungos.org/publication/on-my-own-two-feet-why-do-some-people-return-to-rough-sleeping-after-time-off-the-streets/ Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.mungos.org/publication/on-my-own-two-feet-why-do-some-people-return-to-rough-sleeping-after-time-off-the-streets/ Shelf Number: 150784 Keywords: Anti-Social Behavior Homeless Persons Homelessness Mentally Ill PersonsRough Sleeping |
Author: Holihen, Katie Title: Park Ridge's Success Story on Going Beyond Crisis Intervention Team Training: Building Whole-Community Responses to Mental Health Summary: As community-based mental health services go unfunded or lack sufficient resources, the safety net for people with mental illness has been essentially eliminated. At the community level, emergency rooms and law enforcement have become the new front doors to what remains of our mental health system, operating as the first point of contact for people in crisis or with chronic mental illness. As such, there is a pressing need for education and collaboration between these parties, as well as with the larger community. Specifically, in regards to law enforcement, agencies need to examine how to best manage officers' increasingly frequent contact with individuals with mental illness, including how to interact with them in a safe and compassionate way. Lack of training can quickly lead to the misinterpretation of intent of individuals in crisis, which, as seen in several high-profile officer-involved shootings across the country, could be the difference between life and death. Make no mistake, law enforcement as a profession has advanced considerably in its response to calls for service involving people with mental illness, in part because of the implementation of specialized police responses (SPR),1 which fall primarily into two categories: (1) the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Model, which was founded by the University of Memphis and was first implemented in Memphis, Tennessee,2 and (2) law enforcement and mental health co-responder teams, which was pioneered in Los Angeles County, California. As a cornerstone program for improving responses to people in crisis, the CIT Model, also known as the Memphis Model, and its affiliated training have been implemented in hundreds of police jurisdictions nationwide. Developed in the late 1980s, the CIT Model works to improve both officer and community safety by providing officers with relevant training and to reduce reliance on the criminal justice system by building stronger links within the mental health system. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2018. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2018 at : https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0856-pub.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-w0856-pub.pdf Shelf Number: 150818 Keywords: Community Oriented PolicingCommunity ParticipationCrisis InterventionMental Health ServicesMentally Ill PersonsPolice and the Mentally IllPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community Relations |
Author: Harman, Jennifer J. Title: A Study of Homelessness in Seven Colorado Jails Summary: "A Study of Homelessness in Seven Colorado Jails" surveyed 507 inmates in jails in Arapahoe County, the City and County of Denver, El Paso County, Larimer County, Mesa County, and Pueblo County. The sites were chosen because they represent a good cross-section of jurisdictions in Colorado that experience the impacts of homeless populations. The Division of Criminal Justice commissioned Eris Enterprises to conduct the study to provide data that may help answer questions being raised by law enforcement, legislators and community members in relation to a reported increase in the homeless population in major Colorado jails and in Colorado in general. The study examined the prevalence of risk factors associated with homelessness, the types and number of crimes committed, home state origin, why non-native inmates moved to Colorado, and what services inmates need to transition out of jail. In particular, the study sought to provide insight on one frequently posed question: is Colorado seeing an increase in homeless people moving to Colorado for legal marijuana and then committing crimes? SUMMARY OF RESULTS The study found that the majority of homeless who ended up in Colorado jails moved here prior to legalization of marijuana, and most moved here to escape a problem or be with family. More than one third of the homeless who moved to Colorado after legalization in 2012 reported legal marijuana as a reason that drew them to Colorado. However, only two individuals selected legal marjiuana as the only factor that drew them to Colorado. The study also found that homeless inmates reported higher rates of mental illness and were charged with significantly fewer violent crimes but significantly more drug and trespassing crimes than non-homeless inmates. Details: Denver: ColoradoDivision of Criminal Justice, 2018. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 14, 2018 at:; https://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/ors/docs/reports/2018_Jail_Homelessness_Study.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://cdpsdocs.state.co.us/ors/docs/reports/2018_Jail_Homelessness_Study.pdf Shelf Number: 151128 Keywords: Homeless PersonsHomelessnessHousingJail InmatesJailsLoiteringMentally Ill PersonsPanhandling Vagrants |
Author: Zimmerman, Shannon Title: Recognizing the Violent Extremist Ideology of ‘Incels’ Summary: n April 2018 Alek Minassian drove a van into a crowd of people in Toronto, killing ten people. A few minutes before, he had posted on Facebook, "The Incel rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all Chads and Stacys! All hail the supreme gentleman Elliot Rodger." Minassian was referring to Elliot Rodger, the 22-year-old male who committed the Isla Vista, Calif., attack which killed six people in 2014. Before his rampage, Rodger had posted a 'manifesto' online - a lengthy tirade against the failures of modern society to provide him sexual access to women. Rodger is often portrayed in the media as the godfather of Incel ideology and is referred to as the "Supreme Gentleman" in online spaces such as Reddit and incel.me. He was the first individual to be labeled a terrorist of the alt-right by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks far-right activity. Minassian's Facebook post indicated that his act was linked to a broader political ideology rooted in a toxic combination of male supremacy and white supremacy. While lone-wolf attackers who invoke anti-feminist ideas- like Minassian- are often framed as mentally ill loners, this attack was terrorist in nature and should be considered as such. Like the response to Elliot Rodger's earlier attack at Isla Vista, media reporting after the Toronto attack quickly emphasized Minassian's struggles with mental health and cited claims from friends that he "wasn't a terrorist." This treatment fails to recognize the corrosive political ideology that underpinned Minassian's attack and his desire to terrorize the public. These qualities should rightly define his actions as terrorism. Details: Washington, DC: Women in International Security, 2018. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief: Accessed May 14, 2019 at: https://www.wiisglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Policybrief-Violent-Extremists-Incels.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.wiisglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Policybrief-Violent-Extremists-Incels.pdf Shelf Number: 155826 Keywords: Countering Violent Extremism Mentally Ill PersonsTerrorists Violent Extremism Violent Extremists |
Author: Choi, John J. Title: Prosecutors and Frequent Utilizers: How Can Prosecutors Better Address the Needs of People Who Frequently Interact with the Criminal Justice and Other Social Systems? Summary: Criminal justice involvement is often the culmination of unmet needs, according to an increasing body of research, testimony, and other evidence. For many individuals who are arrested and charged, a combination of challenges - including mental illness, substance use, poverty, and trauma - can lead to frequent stays in the local jail, emergency room, and homeless shelter. But very few of these stays lead to adequate care or address long-term needs. Rather, social systems - criminal justice, health, and housing, for example - traditionally exist in silos and operate on an "event-by-event basis," with little coordination between them about how to address the overlapping populations they serve. For those who cycle between these systems, often referred to as "frequent utilizers," these stays offer few off-ramps from the criminal justice system or long-term resources. For jurisdictions, this results in an ineffective use of public funds and an inadequate response to the needs of frequent utilizers and their communities. While practitioners, policymakers, academics, and people directly impacted have described this cycle for years, innovations in data and technology offer new avenues to better understand and address the needs of those who frequently interact with the criminal justice and other social systems. Through collaboration between criminal justice stakeholders, service providers, community organizations, and researchers, jurisdictions across the country are harnessing the power of data to develop new strategies to combat this cycle, invest in long-term solutions, and better meet the needs of frequent utilizers and their communities Details: New York: Institute for innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College, 2019. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2019 at: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c4fbee5697a9849dae88a23/t/5c6dd3271905f41e5f8636a3/1550701352414/IIP+ES+Prosecutors+and+Frequent+Utilizers.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c4fbee5697a9849dae88a23/t/5c6dd3271905f41e5f8636a3/1550701352414/IIP+ES+Prosecutors+and+Frequent+Utilizers.pdf Shelf Number: 155880 Keywords: Mentally Ill PersonsPovertyProsecutorsRepeat OffendersSocial Service ProvidersSubstance Abuse |