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Crisis Intervention and Risk Management Training for Police: De-Escalating

Offenders in Crisis While Maintaining Public Safety

Article in Psychiatry Information in Brief · October 2004

DOI: 10.7191/pib.1037 · Source: OAI

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 Clayfield et al.: Crisis Intervention and Risk Management Training for Police
October 2004 Center for Mental Health Services Research
Vol 1, Issue 8 University of Massachusetts Medical School

Issue Brief
Crisis Intervention & Risk Management Training for Police:
CMHSR De-Escalating Offenders in Crisis While Maintaining Public Safety
Jonathan C. Clayfield, MA, Albert J. Grudzinskas, Jr., J.D., Hon. Maurice H.
Richardson, William H. Fisher, Ph.D., and Kristen Roy-Bujnowski, MA

olice are often the first responders when

P
excessive force or suicide by cop."2 When police
crisis situations arise. They are expected confront an EDP and there is evidence at the
to be able to deal with a myriad of scene that the offender has been abusing drugs or
unknowns when they respond to a call. Police alcohol, there is a much higher potential risk of
are trained to take command of situations and violence. However, mentally ill offenders who
subdue offenders, using a combination of non-
are violent are more likely to attack a relative or
lethal and, less frequently, lethal force. Their
family member, most often a caretaker, while
first priority is public safety. When police are
strangers or people outside the mentally ill
faced with individuals in crisis - often referred
person's social network are rarely targets of
to as emotionally disturbed persons or EDPs
by police - such non-lethal and lethal means of violence.3
force frequently lead to an escalation in crisis
Mental Health Training Approaches
behavior by the offender. This type of response
can often result in injuries, and in some Many law enforcement officials across the
instances even death, to the offender as well as country have recognized the need for special
to the officer responding to the call. training to deal more effectively with EDPs. One
Violence and Mental Illness of the more well-known training approaches is
the Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)
Despite recent research findings to the
Training Model. This approach helps police
contrary, the stigma of the mentally ill as violent
departments develop a specialized unit consisting
individuals still persists, as evidenced in the
of a cadre of officers who receive forty (40) hours
way in which they are portrayed in the movies
of crisis intervention training. While these CIT
and in other media. Studies suggest that persons
units have helped many departments deal more
with mental illness are no more violent
effectively with EDP calls and reduce injuries to
than persons without a mental illness.1
offenders and officers, this model does not seem
Substance abuse, however, does appear to
feasible for police departments of large urban
be a factor in predicting whether a person will
areas, such as New York City, which averages an
behave violently. "Drug and alcohol abuse
EDP call every 7.3 minutes.4 In addition, many
can often trigger drug-induced psychosis,
police unions require departments to pay officers
suicidal thoughts and other anti-social and vio-
who have received specialized training more
lent behavior. Proper preparation and training
money, an unrealistic option for departments
is the key factor in successfully dealing
faced with reduced budgets, scarce resources, and
with disturbed individuals so these situations
personnel layoffs.
don't escalate into personnel complaints,
© 2004 Center for Mental Health Services Research In response to these concerns, the Massachusetts
Department of Psychiatry
Mental Health Diversion & Integration Program
University of Massachusetts Medical School

Produced by The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2004 1

 Psychiatry Issue Briefs, Vol. 1 [2004], Iss. 8, Art. 1
(MMHDIP) of the University of Massachusetts Medical piece of the CIRM training has had the biggest impact.
School has developed a sixteen (16) hour Crisis In particular, officers noted that having consumers
Intervention and Risk Management (CIRM) training share their experiences of having a mental illness was
curriculum. This training has been delivered successfully helpful in dispelling myths and stigma about persons with
to the Worcester and Boston Police mental illness, and in providing a context
Academies over the past several years. The for the information presented during the
...training all
CIRM training focuses on recognizing the training.
officers has
signs and symptoms of mental illness, learn-
proven to be a n
ing how to de-escalate crisis situations, and
e f f e c t i v e alter- Future Policy Considerations
understanding what community resource
native.
options exist for police officers who wish to Given the general lack of, and recent cuts in,
seek treatment for an EDP in lieu of arrest. A funding for outpatient mental health and
pilot version of this curriculum was recently delivered as substance abuse services that plague towns and cities
part of the Worcester Police Department in-service training throughout the U.S., police have become the de facto
in 2002, where the entire police department from the service provider of first, and last, resort. Despite the
Police Chief to the civilian dispatchers (over 440 personnel) acknowledgement and, based on our experience working
was trained. The CIRM curriculum focuses on public with the police departments in the two largest
safety first, emphasizing to the officers that if they get Massachusetts cities, the acceptance of this service
injured or incapacitated, everyone else at the scene, provider role, very little training is provided to prepare officers
including the individual in crisis, is at increased risk of to deal with persons in crisis.
harm. Some of the key features of this training curriculum
Although the Memphis CIT police training model has had
include:
success and wide-spread replication in many jurisdictions
• Emphasis on importance of the officers' public safety across the country, many police departments find this
role. model to be impractical because they face budget cutbacks,
• Prevalence data/statistics on mental illness. union issues, and/or average a large volume of EDP calls
• Differences between mental illness and mental on a daily basis. In response to these issues, training all
retardation. officers has proven to be an effective alternative.
• Relevant aspects of Massachusetts General Law,
References
Chapter 123. (commitment law)
1. Monahan, J., Steadman, H., Silver, E., Appelbaum, P., Robbins, P., Mulvey, E.,
• Recognizing the signs & symptoms of mental illness
Roth, L., Grisso, T., & Banks, S. (2001). Rethinking Risk Assessment: The
(NOT diagnosis).
MacArthur Study of Mental Disorder and Violence. New York, NY: Oxford
• The do's and don'ts when interacting with individuals
University Press, Inc.
in crisis (de-escalation techniques).
2. Bellah, J. (April, 2002). Recognizing Mental Illness. Retrieved from
• Community-based treatment resources that officers
http://www.hendonpub.com/LawMag/catalog.cfm? dest=item
can access in lieu of arrest.
pg&itemid=6679&linkon=category&linkid=84&secid=15 on June 28, 2004.
• Consumer perspectives on living with a mental illness.
3. American Psychiatric Association. (January, 1998). Fact Sheet Series: Violence

Mental Health Consumer Involvement and Mental Illness. Retrieved from http://www. sych.org/public_info/violence.pdf

Both the CIT and MMHDIP trainings rely heavily on on September 13, 2004.

consumer involvement, from the planning stages to the 4. Waldman, A. (March 17, 2004). Police struggle with approach to the mentally

delivery of the training curriculum. From feedback the ill. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com /2004 /0317/p11s02-usju.html on

MMHDIP has received from the Boston and Worcester September 13, 2004.

Police Academy recruits, the "consumer perspectives"

For more information on the Massachusetts Mental Health Diversion & Integration
Program’s Crisis Intervention & Risk Management (CIRM) training for police officers,
Visit us on-line at www.umassmed.edu/cmhsr please email the authors at diversion@umassmed.edu

Opinions expressed in this brief are those of the authors and not necessarily those of UMass Medical School or CMHSR.

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