Because calls involving people with mental illness can be influenced by a wide array of variables, a clearly articulated flowchart is a good way to enhance officer response to people with mental illness. A flowchart such as the one in Figure 1 helps officers decide what options are best suited to each situation they encounter. In order to develop such a tool, people involved in each point of the system should identify the different response options available for each type of scenario typically encountered by responding officers.

Figure 1 shows a sample flowchart that might be used by a Crisis Intervention Team combined with a Mobile Crisis Team, an admittedly rare but effective response approach.  The chart depicts multiple situations and next steps recommended for each.

A flowchart helps clarify when diversion from the criminal justice system is appropriate and when it is not.  For example, in the rare event that the threat of violence exists, a flowchart developed by the individual department can reinforce the decision as to when treatment providers and police can address the problem or when other special response teams should be called in. This reference can assist in determining appropriate levels of response (which do not include SWAT teams unless absolutely necessary) that are based on the likely success of de-escalation techniques and accurate assessments of threat.