Justice Center Publications
Law Enforcement/Mental Health Learning Sites
The Council of State Governments Justice Center, with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), will select four law enforcement agencies from across the nation to participate in a project that will foster peer-to-peer learning and promote the sharing of expertise among law enforcement agencies working to improve responses to people with mental illnesses in their jurisdictions. This effort will focus on identifying agencies with a range of effective specialized policing responses to serve as resources for other law enforcement agencies nationwide.
The Council of State Governments Justice Center, with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), will select four law enforcement agencies from across the nation to participate in a project that will foster peer-to-peer learning and promote the sharing of expertise among law enforcement agencies working to improve responses to people with mental illnesses in their jurisdictions. This effort will focus on identifying agencies with a range of effective specialized policing responses to serve as resources for other law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: Tailoring Law Enforcement Initiatives to Individual Jusrisdictions
Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: Tailoring Law Enforcement Initiatives to Jurisdictions explores the program design process, including detailed examples from several communities from across the country. It is meant to assist initiative leaders and agents of change who want to select or adapt program features from models that will be most effective in their communities. This project was coordinated by the Council of State Governments Justice Center with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. (download)
Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: Tailoring Law Enforcement Initiatives to Jurisdictions explores the program design process, including detailed examples from several communities from across the country. It is meant to assist initiative leaders and agents of change who want to select or adapt program features from models that will be most effective in their communities. This project was coordinated by the Council of State Governments Justice Center with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. (download)
Local Program Example
Media Clips
The Times-Tribune (PA) — Crisis team trains police to deal with mentally ill
7/31/10 — "Next month, a newly organized team of law enforcement officials, mental health advocates and others will start offering free, intensive training for police officers in Lackawanna County to help them intervene effectively when they encounter a mentally ill individual in their work."
The Durango Herald (CO) — Intervention saves mentally ill a trip to jail
7/26/10 — "In U.S. cities with a population of more than 100,000, police contacts with the mentally ill are about 7 percent of all contacts. In Durango, three to five CIT-trained officers are available per shift, and it is almost certain that one will respond to a mental-health-related problem."