Trauma-informed practices necessary for police, experts say

GRAND Mental Health’s iPad Program connects people who may be experiencing a crisis with trained mental health professionals rather than law enforcement by video chatting on iPads. GRAND Mental Health, which serves 12 counties, has distributed more than 10,200 iPads in six years. They have distributed about 8,500 of them to clients and nearly 1,700 to first responders and hospital personnel.

Oklahoma mental health and police agencies supply free tablets to police departments, enabling officers summoned to a mental health crisis to connect on the spot with a licensed mental health professional. The telehealth solution has virtually eliminated forced hospitalizations in Claremore, where officers use the tablets on multiple 911 calls daily. The tablet program, also used in Oklahoma City, serves as a temporary fix while state officials debate more permanent ways to limit potentially violent and unhelpful interactions between mentally ill people and police with little training in their care.

When Alexandria, Kentucky's police chief realized how many of his officers' calls were for mental health crises or minor interpersonal disputes, and then how many of these unresolved problems resulted in repeat 911 calls, he hired a social worker to follow up with people to offer health and social services after the police leave. Now the department's two staff social workers do that work, costing less than hiring more police and reducing repeat calls. Alexandria is a small town, but now its approach is being copied in nearby Louisville.

Two years after reorganizing a police gun-enforcement unit to focus it on an evidence-based approach to preventing retaliatory shootings, Portland city leaders abolished the unit in a round of police budget cuts and failed to reinvest that money in community-based alternatives that don't rely on the police. The result, criminologists say, is a worst-case scenario: a policing reform that creates a vacuum and could be to blame for an alarming spike in gun violence. The most effective solutions, they say, blend effective policing with proven community-based programs.

A partnership between Montana State University and Seattle-based Waypoint Health Innovations is helping bring virtual mental health services to rural communities in Montana. Although the program has only been in research stages thus far, the positive effects already documented has led the program to be ushered into "widespread implementation" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Alexandria, Kentucky's 17-officer police department avoided the expense of hiring more police officers by adding two social workers to assist police in responding to the types of calls that can often turn into repeat calls to 911. By working with people in domestic disturbances, mental health crises, or with substance abuse issues, the social workers connect families to services immediately, rather than awaiting a referral from the police after the crisis has passed. Repeat calls to 911 are down and the city saves up to $50,000 for each position where a social worker substitutes for a police hire.

Using artificial intelligence, social media companies can quickly identify and reach out to those at risk for self-harm. Pinterest, a San Francisco-based social media company, is employing AI to support its user’s emotional well-being. Those who search for content related to self-harm receive links to support resources thanks to the help of collaborations with groups like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Vibrant Emotional Health. The effort has significantly reduced content related to self-harm on the platform.

After realizing a gap at the intersection of mental health care and emergency responders, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has formed a partnership with the county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services and created the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team. Specifically designed to assist those with mental health concerns, this change in practice also reduces hospitalizations and incarcerations.

Montgomery County in Ohio cut overdose deaths nearly in half thanks to combined efforts from city officials, local organizations and community members. Among other tactics, the standout solutions was the partnership that formed between East End Community Services and the police department which aimed to "identify individuals in need of services and connect them to treatment."

In Victoria, Texas, the police department and mental health officials are joining forces to better respond to community crisis situations. From certifying police officers as mental health officers to assessing whether people already in jail have mental illnesses, the city is already reporting success from the initiative.