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Moving knowledge of the mind and thinking and behavioural alternatives, upstream is the solution. Situations in life will always be difficult, but they don't have to become adversity. That really depends on mental agility. Achieved through new knowledge it enhances your ability to harness alternative responses. There are solutions. New solutions start with new thinking. In Mindsmith Thinking we focus on mental agility, ideally provided at the earliest opportunity. #suicideprevention #mentalhealth

https://lnkd.in/dpGhqtfr Glad to see attention being drawn to such a critical issue. Whilst I'm proud that I get to devote my working life to being part of the solution, I also feel deep empathy for the officers and I'm unsurprised by the stories told in the article. There simply isn't enough funding for Forces to provide the specialist and longitudinal support that is needed to all who need it. I know at Gloucestershire we do all that we can, but what we "can" isn't always enough. It troubles me regularly. More needs to be done to ensure all Forces are able to allocate sufficient resources. The NHS needs bolstering to meet the mental health needs of the whole population, which includes police officers. There is so much amazing work underway linked to The Police Covenant that can't come soon enough. If I could pick just a few things that the Home Office could do to help it would be: - Mandatory training of GPs on policing health inequalities - Fast tracking of Police Officers with symptoms of PTSD to high intensity services - Ring fenced funding for OH/Wellbeing staffing resources and therapeutic budgets. - The last one is a biggie... FUND ADEQUATE POLICE NUMBERS TO MANAGE THE DEMANDS OF MODERN POLICING. Locally this would allow Forces to: - provide annual psychological screening for ALL not just "high risk" - pre-retirement PTSD screening - trauma therapy for all who need it for as long as they need it (with an appropriate exit strategy) - strengthen preventative programmes which build resilience. - reduce the unrelenting trauma load of officers through adequate officer numbers I am pleased to say that at Gloucestershire locally there has been investment in recent years which has gone a long way. But without National leverage (and funding) we are scraping the surface. Healthier Officers = Less crime and improved outcomes to victims. SIMPLES.

Discover how pioneering voices from law enforcement are uniting at the United Nations #CND67 to address the mental health crisis in #police and explore the potential of #psychedelics. Law enforcement and first responders face traumatic events daily. The stigma surrounding mental health challenges in these professions often deters individuals from seeking the help they need, while traditional treatments for depression, addiction, and PTSD frequently fall short. As some turn to psychedelics for relief, they navigate a complex landscape filled with legal, financial, and accessibility hurdles, not to mention the risks associated with self-medication and retreats that don't fully address their specific trauma-related needs. Our campaign brings this urgent conversation to the global stage, advocating for access to safe, effective, and specialised treatments. It's not just about compassion; it's about enhancing the effectiveness of our public safety efforts through better mental health support. >> Have you or someone you know in the first responder community sought alternative therapies for PTSD or other mental health issues? We'd love to hear your stories as we start this awareness camapaign. #MentalHealthAwareness #PublicSafety #AlternativeTherapies #Psychedelics #MDMA

Police Need Access to #psychedelics urgently With clear evidence of a rapidly increasing number of police officers around the world experiencing serious mental health issues, we at LEAP Europe are joining our colleagues at Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) US to launch a campaign to urgently address this crisis. Join us at United Nations #CND67 to hear first hand from an expert panel featuring - Neil Woods our Chairman and former Det Sgt. - Fabian Bilheran former Paris drug squad member and leading mental health advocate - Serving Police Lieutenant, Peace Officer and practising psychotherapist Sarko Gergerian - Ret Chief Inspector and expert on policing and police accountability, Nick Glynn of Open Society Foundations - Ret Police Chief and Director of Policing Strategies at LEAD National Support Bureau, Brendan Cox (moderator) About their experiences of the mental health crisis in policing and why they all feel strongly that this needs to be addressed before the crisis in policing can be addressed. And, why #psychedelictherapy can be a key part of the solution. As Neil explained in a recent article in Policing Insight ❝In several nations the crisis is not only unprecedented, but it is potentially the beginning of something worse. And that’s because there is a parallel mental health crisis within police ranks. The two should not be seen in isolation. ❝All of the many former cops I know who suffer could have been treated better – much better. And they’ve all learnt that earlier interventions might have prevented permanent illness. So, a change in culture is needed, as are effective responses and adequate prevention.❞ ❝PTSD can cause a shortening of temper and poor decision making. It can lead to mistakes and feed into a toxic culture. I’m not here trying to defend any poor behaviour, but it has become routine to criticise police without any context as to what is going on.❞ ❝Massive change is just around the corner, and policing needs to be ahead of it. These treatments are coming. How will the delivery of treatments and care for frontline cops be managed in the future?❞ #ptsdtherapy #ptsdawareness #mentalhealthmatters #mdma

A review of the New South Wales Police response to those in mental health crisis has recommended that the force switch to the Right Care, Right Person model pioneered in the UK, after identifying that a law enforcement presence can often be an “escalating factor” for those experiencing a mental health crisis, while the over-reliance on a police response can increase risks and stretch resources, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports. ❝Senior officers from NSWPF [New South Wales Police Force] travelled to the UK to explore the Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) approach now in place across police forces nationally; a model based on RCRP has now been recommended for officers in New South Wales.❞ ❝Over-reliance on police responding to mental health-related incidents can cause distress and increase the risk of injury for both individuals experiencing mental health concerns and police officers.❞ - Review of NSWPF response to mental health incidents ❝The demand on frontline police has increased and engagement with mental health consumers now forms a significant component of everyday policing in NSW. The increasing demand presents a significant challenge for NSWPF.❞ - Review of NSWPF response to mental health incidents ❝While police are best equipped to respond to incidents involving criminality and public order, other health professionals are able to provide more appropriate care for people experiencing mental health crises.❞ - Review of NSWPF response to mental health incidents ❝The RCRP threshold is used to determine whether the police are the appropriate agency to respond when the public or other professionals report a mental health-related incident, including to police.❞ ❝We hear the calls for change from the sector and the recent NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into community mental health, and we know action cannot wait. This report is our first step in exploring the pathway forward to an alternative model.❞ - Rose Jackson, Minister for Mental Health, NSW Government [SUBSCRIBER ARTICLE] https://lnkd.in/ekDdScuh 💡Read more articles in our special series 'The policing response to mental health': https://lnkd.in/eraXHmGZ #lawenforcement #policing #police #mentalhealth NSW Police Force

The Vera Institute of Justice posted an important editorial by the Los Angeles Times about the need for more supportive housing for people who struggle with mental illness. The editorial board takes a look at the current situation in their county and, while lauding some of the current efforts to provide more supportive housing, it does not shy away from also posing the following question: "This kind of thinking makes us wonder: Are state and county officials serious about treating psychiatric illness and housing homeless people or not?" Good question. Given the enormity of the problem, it is indeed shocking that more has not been done years ago to marshal existing resources more effectively. When I worked with formerly incarcerated individuals, who struggled with addiction, severe mental illness issues and a host of other serious problems, it became impossible to deny that they did indeed need stable and supportive housing first. Everything else was just commentary. The moral injury that I experienced then remains with me to this day and partly helps explain my occasional rants on this platform. As one former client angrily told me once, "We are dealing with people's lives here." I have been thinking lately about how easy it is to be full of contradictions when commenting on Linkedin. As the editorial makes it clear, however, how to address homelessness is complex. Nimbyism and commercial interests have further made it difficult to implement sustainable solutions. It was like that decades ago and it is all the more so today. We nonetheless need state and county officials who are willing to think and act beyond their own personal political interests.

Understanding the impact of organisational and operational stressors on the mental health of police officers in Ireland. There are many similarities and themes within policing in Canada as well. CIPSRT-ICRTSP

HM Inspectorate of Prisons has published a report on HMP Wymott. The report found that 58% of all 1,182 prisoners report struggling with their mental health. Due to staff shortage these inmates are suffering and are waiting a minimum of 39 weeks to access psychological therapy and over a year for counselling. Sadly, as a result they are turning to drugs which is creating further problems for them. Again, this just shows that mental health is on the rise and more intervention is required to support people. #mentalhealthmatters #psychologicaltherapy #counselling #drugmisuse #earlyintervention #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #ambimind

Addressing the Current Disorder: The Strain on Policing and the Need for Balanced Reporting. The current disorder we are facing in the UK is putting a significant strain on policing across the country. The scarcity of officers specialising in public order situations means that the majority of police personnel are pulled from their primary roles in response and neighbourhood policing duties. This issue is not new to me; I experienced it firsthand during the 2011 riots that erupted across the UK following the Mark Duggan incident in London. At the time, I was leading a Neighbourhood Team in a particularly busy and challenging area. However, like many of my colleagues, I was reassigned to manage the public order situation. What concerns me deeply is the growing trend of assaults and blatant disrespect towards officers. Such behaviour is becoming alarmingly commonplace, driven by a largely one-sided narrative perpetuated by much of the national press. We desperately need a more balanced approach from our media. When people are in need of help with crime and disorder, they call the police, not Ghostbusters. This imbalance in reporting does a disservice to the reality of policing and the vital role officers play in our communities. Sir Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper undoubtedly have a monumental task ahead of them in addressing these challenges. The actions of the Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, who recently pushed a reporter’s microphone away as he left a Cobra meeting, only exacerbate the situation. Such incidents fuel the media’s anti-police rhetoric, which is gaining more traction every day. Our police force is essential, and I am proud to have served for over 20 years. While there will always be a few bad apples in any large organisation, the vast majority of officers perform their duties admirably. In today’s environment, policing is a far more difficult and thankless job than ever before. It is crucial that we all play a part in readdressing the balance. Imagine a society without the police service—it is an unimaginable scenario. Let us support our police and strive for a more balanced narrative in the media. Only by doing so can we ensure the safety and well-being of our communities. #policing #neighbourhoodpolicing #press

🌟 Unlocking Potential: Drama Interventions in Probation 🌟 At Unlock Drama, we've been harnessing the transformative power of drama to facilitate rehabilitation across the criminal justice system. Our extensive experience in over 40 prisons and various community settings, including probation services, underscores our commitment to rehabilitation and social change. 🔹 Why Drama? Drama offers a unique avenue for personal development, helping participants on probation enhance their communication, empathy, and leadership skills. These workshops are vital in addressing challenges like substance misuse, mental health issues, and violence, providing participants with tools for better decision-making and reduced reoffending. 🔹 Tailored Workshops: Each session is customised to fit the unique needs of the probation setting, with a focus on triggers, consequences, and victim awareness. This approach not only aids in effective self-management and problem-solving but also deepens understanding and empathy among participants. 🔹 Impact on Probation and Community: By easing the load on probation staff and enhancing public safety, our projects contribute positively to community health. Participants often express significant personal growth and a renewed sense of purpose, which are crucial for successful reintegration. 🔹 Participant Feedback: "This project helped me see things from different perspectives, making me rethink my actions and choose a better path," shares one participant. Another notes, "Drama has given me the tools to better manage my emotions and reactions, crucial for my rehabilitation journey." Join us in this journey of transformation and rehabilitation. By integrating drama into probation settings, we're not only changing individual lives but also fostering safer, more empathetic communities. www.unlockdrama.com rebecca@unlockdrama.com #UnlockDrama #Rehabilitation #Probation #SocialChange #Reintegration #ThroughTheGate #CommunitySafety #ProSocial #OffenderManagement #OMU #ApprovedPremises #CFO #CFOActivityHubs