In August 2020, a multi-disciplinary group of individuals with subject matter expertise in police responses to people with behavioral health issues and/or developmental disabilities convened virtually to participate in the Law Enforcement Engagement with People with Behavioral Health Issues and Developmental Disabilities Stakeholder Roundtable. This roundtable was designed to inform the work of the Academic Training to Inform Police Responses by facilitating discussions related to:
Opportunities to advance the safety and effectiveness of police engagement with people with behavioral health (BH) issues and/or developmental disabilities (DD);
Best practices in current crisis response models and collaboration between police and service provider partners; and
Existing and needed products and resources to support police agencies and their service provider partners in the delivery of effective responses.
The Stakeholder Roundtable hosted presentations on existing efforts in police responses to people with BH issues and/or DD. These presentations were designed to facilitate discussions of best practices in police and community responses, methods of police-mental health and police-disability collaboration, and potential barriers to effective responses to people with BH issues and/or DD. The presenters included:
Presentations
Understanding Police Response through Examining 911 Call for Service Data Dr. Rebecca Neusteter Director, University of Chicago Health Lab
The Arc of the United States’ National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability Pathways to Justice® Initiative Ariel Simms, Esq. Senior Program Manager & Attorney, The Arc of the United States
Tucson Police Department’s Mental Health Support Team (MHST) Assistant Chief Kevin Hall Tucson (AZ) Police Department
Integrated Dispatch and Crisis Service Response Peggy Heil Behavioral Health Specialist, Colorado Division of Criminal Justice
Houston Police Department’s Mental Health Division Assistant Chief Wendy Baimbridge Houston (TX) Police Department
Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS; Eugene, OR) Tim Black Director of Consulting, White Bird Clinic
Fayetteville Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Chief Gina Hawkins Fayetteville (NC) Police Department
Southern Arizona’s Crisis Response Center and Crisis System Dr. Margie Balfour Chief of Quality and Clinical Innovation, Connections Health Solutions Associate Professor of Psychiatry; University of Arizona
A full report of the Law Enforcement Engagement with People with Behavioral Health Issues and Developmental Disabilities Stakeholder Roundtable can be found below. This report provides:
An account of the planning and delivery of the Roundtable, including the processes for participant selection and activities across the two-day meeting;
A description of the major themes of the discussions, polls, and survey responses generated by the Stakeholder Roundtable participants; and
Recommendations for future efforts to facilitate collaborative responses to people with BH issues and/or DD within communities.