Police-Mental Health Coordination Project

Overview

The Police-Mental Health Coordination Project is an interagency program co-administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health, Bureau of Forensic Services (NYSOMHBFS) and the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Office of Public Safety (NYSDCJS). Its major goals are to establish appropriate program linkages between the law enforcement and mental health systems in New York State and to provide police officers with training which will facilitate their safe handling of calls or incidents involving persons who are emotionally disturbed.

Training

The Project has accomplished its major training objectives:

The design of a 16-hour mental health training program to meet the NYSDCJS mental health training requirements for recruit level law enforcement officers in New York State. The training program is designed to enable police officers to identify the indicators of emotional disturbance, to understand the causes of emotional disturbance, to appreciate the experience of mental illness, to utilize the NYS Mental Hygiene Law, to make effective assessments and interventions, and to appropriately document their actions. Role play is used extensively as a learning tool.

This training program was developed with the active assistance of an Expert Committee including representatives of the following agencies: NYSOMHBFS, NYSDCJSOPS, NYS Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services, NYS Offfice of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, NYS Commission of Correction, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Central New York Psychiatric Center, Hutchings Psychiatric Center, Capital District Psychiatric Center. New York State Police, New York City Police Academy, United States Secret Service, New York City Police Department, Emergency Services Unit, the Albany, Binghamton, Nassau County, Fulton, Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester Police Departments, Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department, the New York City, Westchester County and Nassau County Departments of Mental Health.

The implementation of a series of Train-the-Trainer Workshops for certified police trainers and appropriate mental health staff who will conduct the police-mental health training in the Basic Course for Police Officers (BCPO). This curriculum has been incorporated into the BCPO throughout New York State.

Program Development

The recruit training effort has been supported and strengthened by activities designed to enhance coordination between local law enforcement and mental health crisis service providers including:

The presentation of police-mental health executive development programs to facilitate service coordination among the police chiefs, county mental health directors and mental health crisis program facility directors in New York State.

The funding of fifteen county-specific police-mental health linkage projects in the areas of procedure development and in-service training.

Project Components

The Police-Mental Health Coordination Project includes four training materials:

The Trainer's Manual which contains all instructional content and role play formats for the 14-hour police-mental health training program. The manual includes a set of transparencies, print materials for distribution, as well as an Instructor Role Play Guide.

A set of two training videotapes which accompany the Trainer's Manual. Videotape content includes an introduction designed to capture the trainees' attention through a collage of shocking real life police-mental health crisis situations followed by more traditional segments which interact with the Trainer's Manual content to assist trainees in identifying emotionally disturbed persons, developing empathy for the mentally ill person and his family, identifying and responding to a suicidal detainee and documenting situations.

An Officer's Guide which summarizes the essential material from the Trainer's Manual for the trainees' future reference.

A 90-minute videotape to assist the instructor in utilizing role play in the training. This videotape presents a step-by-step discussion and illustration of the role play technique. With the Instructor's Role Play Guide included in the Trainer's Manual, this videotape provides a structured guide for the trainer's development and practice of role plays.

Utilization of Training Components

The materials discussed above are designed to present an integrated and comprehensive basic Police-Mental Health Training Program. No individual component is intended to be free-standing.

For additional information, contact:

Pamela Morschauser, CSW
Local Projects Coordinator
for the NYS OMH Bureau of Forensic Services
at Ulster County Department of Mental Health
239 Golden Hill Lane
Kingston, NY 12401
914-340-4168

For the NYS OMH Bureau of Forensic Services
Richard Miraglia, CSW
Director

OR

Alan Feuer, Senior Training Technician
Office of Public Safety
NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services
4 Tower Place
Albany, NY 12203
518-485-7609

Order Forms:

• Written Material
• Audio/Visual Material

Last updated on 6/08/99