This module introduces participants to neurocognitive disorders and the symptoms and behaviors associated with these disorders.
Instructor
This module should be co-taught by a mental health practitioner who has expertise in working with people living with neurocognitive disorders and a law enforcement co-instructor who has been trained in crisis response and intervention. It may also be helpful to have those with lived experience as co-instructors.
Time 50 minutes
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this module, participants should be able to:
Explain the effects of dementia;
Describe the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease;
Describe the symptoms of traumatic brain injury;
Describe the symptoms of delirium; and
Identify appropriate responses to incidents involving individuals living with neurocognitive disorders.
The Personal Connections module involves site visits. Site visits should be designed to help training participants build positive relationships with people with behavioral health conditions and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Site visits can support classroom learning by giving officers an opportunity to engage with people with lived experience and learn about service and advocacy organizations in their community.
Time 210 minutes (3.5 hours)
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this module, participants should be able to:
Describe at least two things they learned from their interaction with those living with behavioral health conditions, IDD, and co-occurring conditions;
Describe two changes to their approach when responding to someone with mental health conditions, IDD, and co-occurring conditions; and
Identify at least two ways that interactions with people with mental health conditions may differ from interactions with those with IDD.
This module will review federal and state laws, as well as agency policies and procedures, that guide the work of law enforcement. Laws and policies specific to disability rights is the focus here, with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) serving as the foundation for discussion. The goals for this module include:
Helping participants understand the rights of people with disabilities, including expectations of law enforcement to know and uphold disability rights;
Emphasizing how officers’ use of de-escalation techniques is required by law;
Reviewing civil involuntary commitment laws and practices, to include discussion regarding the overlap of federal, state, and local rules guiding the removal of individuals from the community; and
Providing guidance on the use of less restrictive alternatives before placing an individual in custody for evaluation/commitment.
Instructor
It is recommended that this module be co-taught by a law enforcement instructor with experience in crisis response and a local attorney with knowledge and understanding of federal, state, and local disability rights laws. The attorney instructor should be a seasoned trainer of law enforcement who can engage officers in understanding the rights and responsibilities of officers and the individuals they serve under these laws. You may consider including an attorney from your jurisdiction’s prosecuting agency to assist with training, particularly an assistant prosecutor or assistant district attorney who handles civil commitment or mental health diversion cases.
You may also consider including attorneys from your state’s protection and advocacy agency, as they practice under disability rights laws regularly and should be able to communicate relevant concepts. Protection and advocacy agencies work at the state level to protect individuals with disabilities by empowering them and advocating on their behalf. To find the protection and advocacy agency in your state, see https://www.ndrn.org/about/ndrn-member-agencies/.
Time 90 minutes
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this module, participants should be able to:
Discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to include knowledge about the range of individuals identified for protection under this landmark legislation;
Describe federal and state laws that affect their interactions with persons with disabilities and those experiencing a crisis, including those perceived to have a disability;
Summarize legal obligations when working with persons with disabilities and those experiencing a crisis; and
Explain the standards for their state’s civil commitment, the responsibilities of law enforcement agencies in the commitment determination process (based upon state and local laws), and when civil commitment may be an appropriate response.
