Most times, when a mentally ill person is having a particularly violent or psychotic episode, there's no one else to call but the police. And we've seen attempts to deescalate the situation end in injury to the mentally ill person - or even death.
That's why the department is working with PAHO and the Ministry of Health to revise the Mental Health manual. This revision will be accompanied by a 3 day training that will better equip the officers to de escalate situations involving mentally ill persons.
The Commissioner of Police told us more about it at the opening ceremony.
Dr Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"The revision is more than just procedural adjustment, it's a recognition that we are moving towards a more progressive department, a department that requires a more balanced approach, that balances public safety and human dignity. The manual recognizes that there is a need for the police department to develop the discernment, to recognize a crisis, a mental health crisis. It will develop their skills to safely deescalate a situation, it will also give them that ability to be able to connect or refer those mental health patients to the necessary mental health care partners."
Karen Roberts, Advisor, Non-Communicable Diseases & Mental Health, PAHO
"In the interactions with the police and even following in the media, we realized that we were having some challenges with crisis intervention and the use of force when it comes to clients with mental health conditions in the community. In addition to that, we also picked up that police officers themselves needed support in taking care of their own mental health and as a result when we reviewed, we saw that they had a manual that was developed in 2007 by PAHO and the Ministry of Health in the quest to address some of these challenges. So we thought that this was an opportune time to work with the ministry to update that document and then we had a good opportunity to include some self care components because we understand that if you're not taking care of your own mental health then it's difficult to be able to make interventions and be effective at work and within the community."
Yvette Quintanilla, Mental Health Coordinator, Mental Health Unit, MOHW
"The legislation as well is outdated and that is what we are working on to have more current laws. We are also looking at the human rights of people and that is why we are updating the manual. Of course we have been faced with different situations where some of our patients have been hurt and that is why we felt it was very timely for us to update the manual in order to be able to train and prepare the police officers."
"Hopefully when the legations is finalized then that manual will be finalized as well. We are looking also at the current policies or what should be the practice whenever the calls come in to clearly establish the role of the police officers and the mental health professionals. Once that is established then the manual can be finalized. But the other aspect of is it the capacity building whereby we teach the police officers about the mental health conditions, the signs, the symptoms, how to be able to recognize it. We also teach them deescalation techniques, how to approach patients, how to speak with them, how to tone down a very difficult situation that might build up into something else."
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