Academic Training to Inform Police Responses
A National Curriculum to Enhance Police Engagement with People with Behavioral Health Issues and Developmental Disabilities
Project Description
For law enforcement officers, responding to situations involving individuals with behavioral health issues or developmental disabilities in a safe, effective manner can often present a significant challenge.
This Academic Training to Enhance Police Engagement with People with Behavioral Health Issues and Developmental Disabilities is designed to enhance, implement, and evaluate crisis intervention team and disability response training for law enforcement and first responders that is academically based and transdisciplinary. Collectively, this project aims to increase access to training, technical assistance, and companion tools and resources to facilitate the adoption and implementation of multilayered approaches in police response for persons with behavioral health issues or developmental disabilities, including co-responder models, mobile crisis teams, and developmental disability specific approaches.
Project Design and Implementation
In order to improve police response to people with behavioral health issues or developmental disabilities, our team will:
- Develop & implement a National Curriculum to inform police responses to people with behavioral health issues and intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Develop technology solutions such as e-learning training materials
- Develop best practice guides in police response to persons with behavioral health issues or developmental disabilities
- Evaluate curriculum development and deliver training and technical assistance
- Enhance existing resources and develop new products
Project Partners
Supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, this training initiative brings together experts in law enforcement, mental and behavioral health, curriculum development, and evaluation to raise awareness in the law enforcement community about the nature and needs of persons with behavioral health issues or developmental disabilities to facilitate the use of evidence-based and best practices in law enforcement response. More information on the Academic Training partner organizations can be found here.
Resources
- Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Police Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit
- Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Justice and Mental Health Collaboration (JMHCP) Program
- Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center: Police Mental Health Collaborations
- International Association of Chiefs of Police’s (IACP) One Mind Campaign
- National League of Cities (NLC): Addressing Mental Health, Substance Use, and Homelessness
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMSHA’s) GAINS (Gather, Assess, Integrate, Network, and Stimulate) Center
- The Arc of the United States’ Pathways to Justice®
