Connections Health Solutions’ Post

Since 2020, over 100 crisis response teams have sprung up around the country to provide a means of responding to mental health emergencies without use of the police. A few lessons are emerging: 💡 Crisis teams had to call for police back up fewer than 1% of the time 💡 911 dispatchers need training to determine who to send to the scene, mental health experts or police 💡 Some distressed individuals are more likely to call a separate response line (like 311) than 911, because they feel safer not involving the police   https://lnkd.in/gP6k_t2n

This is a solid article on the major impact of sending trained community (behavioral health, medical and social service) responders instead of law enforcement in a number of communities around the country. As many of us know, sending police to people in mental health crisis can be stigmatizing, traumatizing and sometimes victimizing. Well-trained non-uniformed responders can make a major difference in de-escalating crises, keeping people safe and connecting them to care in their community. We don't send psychiatrists to respond to robberies, and we shouldn't send police to people in mental health crisis. This article makes an important point about the need for county social, mental health and housing services to develop susbtantive infrastructures to help people from tumbling into crises in the first place. Addressing "social determinants" through smart local investments in community programs are vital, in addition to funding the right kind of crisis response services. Otherwise, crisis services appear more like bandaids than resolutions.... #CrisisResponse #PoliceResponse #MentalHealthCrisis

🔊🚔 Addressing the Mental Health Challenges of Law Enforcement: Why SoundThinking Tools are Essential 🧠 🔔 As we navigate the complexities of modern policing, it's crucial to shine a light on the often-overlooked aspect of mental health among our law enforcement officers. The demanding nature of their duties, coupled with exposure to high-stress situations, can take a toll on their well-being. Research consistently underscores the prevalence of mental health challenges within law enforcement ranks. From PTSD to depression and anxiety, these issues can profoundly impact both the officers and the communities they serve. It's imperative that we prioritize the mental health of those who selflessly protect and serve. 🔊 That's where SoundThinking tools come into play. These cutting-edge resources offer a tactical approach to aid in mental wellness for law enforcement professionals. By providing access to evidence-based solutions, SoundThinking equips officers with the tools they need to navigate their job effectively and maintain their psychological well-being. 📢 Investing in SoundThinking isn't just about supporting our officers—it's about enhancing public safety. A mentally resilient law enforcement force is better equipped to make sound decisions, de-escalate tense situations, and foster trust within communities. Ultimately, this leads to safer neighborhoods and stronger police-community relations. At a time when mental health awareness is more important than ever, it's a crucial step towards building a safer, more resilient society.

From my perspective, it's crucial that both mental health experts and law enforcement personnel are dispatched. Working together, we're more effective, and this collaboration will address all facets of reducing the number of deaths among mental health professionals during home visits, as well as, the instances of police shooting mishaps. #BetterTogether #PublicSafety #LawEnforcement #MentalHealthProfessionals

Our Crisis Care program is dedicated to being the clinician support for law enforcement as they respond to increasing mental health calls. "It works like this: on-site law enforcement calls the crisis response team at Avel eCare to request a safety assessment. From there, law enforcement gives the individual in crisis a tablet for a video session with a psychiatric nurse, after which a recommendation on next steps is made to law enforcement. If needed, the clinical team can also connect the person with community mental health resources. The crisis care team can also provide language interpreters around the clock. “You’re normalizing behavioral health issues, so that they can get it addressed appropriately," the company's CEO Doug Duskin told Fierce Healthcare." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gMGtUm6p To learn more about our crisis care program and how we can help visit: https://lnkd.in/duDukHi6 #MentalHealthAwareness #crisiscare #lawenforcement #telemedicine

To truly serve communities and improve public safety, we must shift away from law enforcement involvement in non-emergency calls involving mental health. Instead, cities and localities should fund programs that dispatch trained experts in situations involving behavioral crises and provide support to people with mental health conditions. The killing of Sonya Massey as well as the fatal shooting of a New Jersey woman by law enforcement are just some of the latest consequences of law enforcement’s proven inability to effectively respond to mental health-related crises. It’s past time we improved our approach to public safety. Lives depend on it. https://lnkd.in/eBprMpf3

It is a sobering reality that law enforcement officers are at least three times more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. This stark statistic reveals a harsh truth: LEOs are facing a silent epidemic, becoming their own worst enemies. In the below article, I dispel four misconceptions surrounding suicide and discuss what the facts mean for suicide prevention. I want to highlight that we cannot prevent responder suicides without continuing to create change at the organizational level. Suicide prevention has to begin before the individual is ever in crisis, by reducing the stigma of seeking help and creating a culture of support within the agency. Agencies can begin to do this through proactive wellness initiatives, peer support and psychological crisis response programming, leadership development and accessibility to culturally competent clinical providers. https://lnkd.in/gEviY73A

In today’s MindSite News Daily, no April Fool’s: Mental health treatment can be hard to get if you have a substance abuse problem, as many mentally ill people do. The federal Medicaid agency is chided for not enforcing parity rules in eight states. Community health workers are, as the cliche goes, “meeting people where they’re at” by starting conversations with people at a Brooklyn park. More women are drinking themselves to death, worrying public health officials. Plus: Democrats are angering drug policy reformers by supporting drug screening for people on government assistance. And Massachusetts says its prisons no longer use solitary confinement – but prisoners say they've simply renamed it. Read today's newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3U0y6X1 Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/3KLozOv . . . . . #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #alcoholism #substanceabuse #womenshealth #medicaid #mentalillness

We need an AOT law in MA and to pay attention to the very fragile population of the most severe and at risk SMI in prisons, basements and homeless currently unreachable and unsafe without treatment. They need and deserve services but won’t advocate for themselves or willingly get treated. They have no rock bottom nor fear of being homeless, of starving to the point of malnourished, or of being imprisoned. Most have zero awareness of how serious their untreated mental illness is, are non functioning and getting into the CJS or worse, causing deaths from preventable tragedies. This has to stop. Now. Join my LinkedIn group, SMI caregivers for personal and professional caregivers dealing with this population everyday. Let’s unite and brainstorm ideas to improve mental healthcare on the state and national levels. www.smicaregivers.com also #smicaregivers on instagram/tiktok Let’s make assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) a reality in MA. www.AOTnow.org #treatmentb4tragedy #schizoaffective #schizophrenia #bipolarwpsychoticfeatures #psychosis #anosognosia #xavieramadour #leapmethod #motivationalinterviewing #smiwarrior #shatteringsilence.

Training in crisis intervention is essential for law enforcement to effectively manage stress and ensure officer and community safety. Programs like Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) and Co-Responder Programs demonstrate the importance of collaboration between police and mental health professionals. By adopting best practices and utilizing data-driven approaches, these initiatives enhance community ties, reduce strain on the criminal justice system, and provide better outcomes for individuals in crisis. Check out the article below to learn how Julota can help make this possible in your community! 👇👇👇