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Bridging the Gap Between Mental Health Services and Law Enforcement​​

Friday, June 6 | 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

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Sand Hills Community Wellness Center

 

Learn More

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Stigma related to mental health is often a barrier for seeking out mental health services and law enforcement support when needed. Mental health providers encounter folks who have both legal involvement and mental health concerns. Law enforcement is often faced with distinguishing between crime and a mental health crisis. Studies show that an increased collaboration between mental health and law enforcement provides increased connections to resources, reduced repeat encounters with law enforcement, minimized arrests, and reduced use of force in encounters with people who have mental health needs. This training will focus on actively promoting collaboration between mental health providers and law enforcement to foster individual and community safety, as well as improve the skills and knowledge needed to de-escalate a mental health crisis using compassion and empathy.

 

Learning Objectives​


Participants will be able to:

  1. Clearly define the roles of mental health providers and law enforcement.

  2. Identify challenges that mental health professionals and law enforcement face when interacting with each other.

  3. Recognize when someone is having a mental health crisis.

  4. Identify at least 4 culturally responsive strategies to de-escalate a crisis.

  5. Identify at least 3 ways that mental health providers can support law enforcement.

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Agenda:

  • 9:30 am to 10:00 am: Bridging the Gap: Identifying participant’s roles and experiences with law enforcement and mental health, Poll: What challenges are faced when mental health providers and law enforcement interact with each other, Open discussion. 

  • 10:00 to 10:30 am: Discuss stigma around mental health and how it can affect people from seeking necessary help they did. Video, Video discussion.

  • 10:30 am to 11:00 am: Examples of mental health crisis that law enforcement may encounter, and how to identify potential crisis, slides and discussion.

  • 11:00 am to 11:10 am: Break.

  • 11:10 am to 11:45 pm: Identify culturally responsive strategies to de-escalate a crisis.

  • 11:45 pm to 12:30 pm: Identify how mental health providers can support law enforcement, vignette, and discussion.

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