McHenry Critical Incident Team

Quick Facts:

Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
McHenry Police Department
Approximate number of officers in agency:
52
Primary specialized response:
Police officers are trained to provide crisis intervention services and to act as liaisons to the mental health system.
Program start year:
2006
Total number of officers in program:
10

McHenry Critical Incident Team

Contact:

Name:
Laura Virgils
Title:
Police Sergeant
Organization:
McHenry Police Department
Address:
333 S. Green St
McHenry, IL
Email:
lvirgils@ci.mchenry.il.us
Phone:
815-363-2218

Agency Information

Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
McHenry Police Department
Type of government that operates law enforcement agency:
Township
Approximate number of officers in agency:
52

Specialized Response Description

Program start year:
2006
Primary specialized response:
Police officers are trained to provide crisis intervention services and to act as liaisons to the mental health system.
Secondary specialized response:
Mental health professionals partner with law enforcement officers to provide on-scene crisis intervention and referral.
Background information:
The Critical Incident Team was established in 2006 and consitst of specially trained officers familiar with the needs of the mental health community and the services availiable. One of the main points is that arrest is not always the best avenue for mental health patients. The goal of the team is to best serve the mental health patient,the criminal justice system, and society.
Total number of officers in program:
10
Number of people with mental illness served:
51-100
Catchment area:
The entire jurisdiction
Funding source(s):
  • Police Department
    • Staff supported by funding:
  • Law Enforcement Officer

    • Program Partners and Personnel

    Existence of planning and oversight committee:
    No (please proceed to question 17)
    Mental health or advocacy agencies that participate in program:
    McHenry County Crisis line, Family services
    Written agreement of roles and procedures:
    No
    Recruitment and selection:
    Officers volunteer and all are selected.
    Program coordinator/boundary spanner
    No

    Training on Mental Health Issues

    Types of training on mental health issues:
  • 4
  • Basic in-service training for all patrol officers
  • Basic in-service training for select patrol officers
  • Basic in-service training for dispatchers and / or call takers
  • 8
  • Advanced in-service training for select patrol officers
  • 40
    • Number of officers who receive advanced training:
    1-50
    Groups who conducts advanced training:
  • Mental health professionals (crisis workers)
  • Advocates
    • Advanced training topics:
    • Recognizing symptoms of mental illness, and clinical issues
    • Co-occurring disorders
    • Psychiatric medications
    • Community resources (mental health services, etc.)
    • Legal issues concerning individuals with mental illness
    • Legal issues concerning police officer liability
    • De-escalation techniques
    • Less lethal use of force options
    • Suicide prevention
    • The role of families and other supports in mental health treatment and recovery
    Advanced training methods:
  • Presentations (including panels, lectures, and/or PowerPoints)
  • Role plays
  • Site visits to community mental health facilities
  • Virtual reality/computerized simulations of mental illness symptoms
    • Other information on training:
    To date, the training is well recieved with the officers and has been effective in de-escalating some situations.

    Response Procedures

    Standardized dispatch questions:
    Not Sure
    Dispatch documentation:
  • Not sure
    • Incident documentation by responding officer:
  • Relay information to dispatch who records it in general computer database used for all calls, such as a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system
  • Record information in an arrest report
    • Use of information on individuals' mental illness stored in police records:
    for officer safety purposes and to identify the speical needs of the person in the future
    Mental health professional available to support police responder:
  • Yes, remotely by telephone or dispatch (e.g. a crisis worker or psychiatric emergency room personnel)
    • Officers permitted to transport people with mental illness to services when:
    • The person has volunteered to receive mental health treatment
    • The person is being brought to a hospital for emergency evaluation
    • The person is being brought to a crisis center or other health care facility for stabilization or medications management
    Officers allowed to transport a person without handcuffs:
    No
    Access to drop-off locations:
    Yes. It is open 24 hours a day.
    Procedure for streamlined intake and a "no refusal" policy for police referrals?
    Yes
    Location of drop-off center(s):
  • Psychiatric emergency / crisis center
    • Drop-off center accepts people with co-occurring substance abuse disorders:
    Yes
    Length of time for drop-off and return to patrol:
    More than 45 minutes

    Program Sustainability

    Data collection:
    No
    Published evaluation:
    No
    Local media coverage:
    No
    Legislative funding or support:
    No
    About this information:

    A program representative provided this information details through a detailed survey.

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