Vernal Scott’s Post

Police officers are not social workers, counsellors or mental health nurses. This is an important conversation. Police are not given this sort of training, nor should they be expected to fill these roles. It is challenging to both enforce the law as well as provide intensive support to their communities. The police have not been resourced well to do so. Are we asking the real questions about why we have a poor retention rate? Do we know how we can boost training while also reducing attrition? What I don’t want to happen is redeployment of police resources to focussing only on enforcing the law. This will leaving a vacuum not able to be filled by our current overworked, underresourced and underapprecoated social and mental health support services. To reduce crime we have to support our police but we must act on the drivers of crime. We must do everything we can to create opportunities for people to choose productive and meaningful lives. We have to have a hard look at our society about what is causing our mental health epidemic. There are a lot of answers and proposals out there but it is hard to see many plans or action from this government so far. Crime, health, education, economy all require a whole of government, whole of society approach. The people understand it, I hope the government will too. #crime #police #justice #mentalhealth #nzpol #politics #aotearoa #newzealand

Police in New Zealand – as with many other jurisdictions – are facing significant growth in callouts to mental health incidents, and are considering various approaches; new research by Auckland University of Technology Associate Professor Katey Thom, and Sarah Gordon, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Otago, suggests that shifting to a trauma-informed support system could improve responses and reduce police involvement. ❝Our research shows a shift to a trauma-informed support system could be a game changer. It has the potential to greatly reduce police involvement while improving support for individuals in distress.❞ ❝Our analysis of 111 calls suggests mental health or social service providers could lead most responses without the need for police.❞ ❝While police often felt they needed more specialist training, the research identified a basic humanistic response was most important to the people they serve.❞ ❝Police must be confident in using a trauma-informed approach that emphasises humanistic engagement across all frontline policing.❞ https://lnkd.in/eswWK-eB #lawenforcement #policing #police #mentalhealth NZ Police

I can’t help but wonder how many of the 60,000 backlogged Crown Court cases are allegations of assault on and emergency worker! I can’t help but wonder how many of those cases would once have been summary only police assaults that would never have affected the Crown Court caseload. I can’t help but wonder how many of them would even now be capable of compromise if there wasn’t an over rigid CPS policy to press ahead to trial on these allegations even though they may be years old and often involve the most vulnerable members of society, a good many of whom have diagnosed mental health problems. I can’t help but wonder whether police officers ought to be specifically excluded from those to whom the protection of emergency workers legislation applies. I can’t help but wonder whether we should get back to Magistrates Court trials for police assaults and let the Crown Court get on with the job it’s best placed to do.

Another nice highlight on police social work! I especially like how the article points out that police social workers can provide crisis intervention and mental health services to both the community and officers within the department. #socialwork #socialworkers #mentalhealth #socialjustice https://lnkd.in/gU-_Chzz

In January the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA) published a series of reports as part of the ‘Envisaging the future of policing and public health’ project, covering a range of topics including harm reduction, diversion, and violence against women and girls; in the last in a series of seven articles, Policing Insight’s Thomas James looks at GLEPHA’s report on the police response to those in mental health crisis. ❝Collectively, these programs demonstrate that police can be part of the solution to support people with mental health needs and can play a pivotal role in developing more appropriate and preventive interventions.❞ - GLEPHA 📂 Case study 1: Human-centered Engagement and Liaison Partnership (HELP) program – Alberta, Canada ❝The interventions have led to vast reductions in rates of criminal violations, behavioral health disorder indicators, and documented police contacts among those who participated in the program.❞ 📂 Case study 2 : RedTraSex mental health pilot program – Latin America and the Caribbean ❝The pilot program is making a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the network’s members and has improved the relationship between law enforcement officers, sex workers and health services.❞ 📂 Case study 3: Muamko Mpya: Healing the uniform – Nairobi, Kenya ❝By recognizing the traumatic experiences facing police officers on the job, the program has sparked a cultural shift within the Kenyan National Police Service and is leading to improved mental health among police officers and, in turn, greater community wellbeing.❞ 📂 Case study 4: Community Law Enforcement Assisted Recovery (CLEAR) program – Massachusetts, United States ❝Winthrop Police have taken steps to bring together the law enforcement, public health and social welfare sectors to provide wrap-around services for local residents struggling with mental health and substance use challenges.❞ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ❝The HELP and CLEAR studies demonstrate that spending time with mental health professionals, social service providers and people with lived experience of mental health issues can help police officers gain a more nuanced understanding of the situation.❞ ❝Law enforcement is often not the best suited entity to respond to an incident when someone in the community experiences a mental health crises or distress.❞ [SUBSCRIBER ARTICLE] https://lnkd.in/ewDgWxcE ➡ Read more articles in the 'Future of policing & public health' series: https://lnkd.in/e5i9R4FC #lawenforcement #policing #police #publichealth #mentalhealth Edmonton Police Service National Police Service - Kenya

Police no longer doing mental health calls https://lnkd.in/e7mzM2ZS "Bedfordshire Police said its new 999 policy "Right Care, Right Person" (RCRP) would allow officers to focus on the jobs they have been "trained" for." See Right Care, Right Place https://lnkd.in/eX56xSS3. "999 callers with mental health issues turned away by police unless there is a risk to life or a crime has been committed." but "One NHS clinical director said she was concerned about resources." ECRP being adopted as "mental health call-outs required huge resources and that police officers were not qualified to deal with most mental health situations." Ch Supt Jaki Whittred "officers had been a safety net because of the lack of NHS staff and funding." "People had the ability to contact police immediately ... the situation out of hours ... a real issue." Will people fall through the cracks? Dr Elena Baker-Glenn gaps need to be monitored, all partners concerned about resources, RCRP the right approach but "trust had not received any extra funding to employ more crisis staff." Unclear where £260m for national RCRP will come from Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). "Bedfordshire, the mental health street triage team, made up of mental health nurses, police and ambulance staff, prevented 517 visits to A&E in 2023" "Dr Baker-Glenn ... when people have a mental health crisis and are only responded to by police, they can perceive it as threatening. The mental health trust has an existing team that can visit homes and a crisis line staffed by mental health professionals that people can access by calling 111." Difficult to implement service change with limited resources, service silos and risks associated with #mentalhealth from self-harm, to harming other, which require a range of services to respond. Interconnections between #mentalhealth, #physicalhealth and #emotionalhealth, #poverty, #trauma, offenders, victims, low/no skills, #employment, #relationships, #substanceuse, #selfcontrol and more. Joined up, #holistic, #proactive, #personalised approach needed to #prevent harm to victims, offenders, police and health and care staff, families, other workers, and communoities. Can this be delivered with the resources provided? Is there a need for more investment now to save and improve lives and money? See Changing Futures https://lnkd.in/eRfTE8da There was also an interview on BBC Breakfast on Saturday morning which referred to the Police response to recent deaths in Norwich. The point being that the consequence when people slip through the gaps can be fatal. Amanda Coulthard Gordon McCreadie Tina MacLucas Kevin Ditcham Dr Iain Caldwell Toby Lowe Stephen Finlayson Catherine Harrison Sophie Mackintosh MBCS

I was recently homeless as a result of psychological injuries sustained while working as a Prov. Psych for a company I call Henny's Health Group. In this video I describe how large NDIS companies such as HHG actively exploit NDIS participants and rip money off the government. I describe how corporate culture can reward bad behaviour and the effects this has on participants and the community. https://lnkd.in/eZ_KMpXc

As part of the NHS England’s health and justice inclusive workforce programme, we developed the non-custodial career and competence framework. This framework is helping the health and justice workforce by providing clearly outlined roles and progression routes, allowing employers and individuals to understand how they contribute to service outcomes.   Non-custodial pathways support some very crucial elements of the justice sector: ✅ Supporting rehabilitation by making sure individuals get the healthcare they need, such as help with substance abuse or mental health ✅ Helping increase out-of-court resolutions and reducing the strain on custody and detention systems ✅ Safeguarding vulnerable people and helping prevent individuals entering the criminal justice system Read the full case study: https://ow.ly/ARww50SPcvK #Framework #Workforce #JusticeServices 

Hi everyone, I'm just reintroducing myself. I'm Samantha Billingham a survivor turned advocate with a passion for raising awareness of coercive control, domestic abuse and its impact. I am working on a new LONG TERM project and I am currently at the RESEARCH stage. I am looking to hear from men and women across the country who have made a disclosure/reported coercive control to a professional, only for the crime to be misunderstood and minimised. I am looking to hear from people who have reported coercive control since 2015, when it became a law. By professional I mean any of the following but not limited to:- Police forces and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Solicitors, Judges and Magistrates Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) and Cafcass Cymru Domestic abuse violence service providers, including any specialist domestic abuse services (including services for men and boys) Local housing and homelessness teams, and registered social landlords Early years, childcare, schools, colleges and higher education settings Child and adult social care providers Community mental health teams and in-patient providers (where applicable) NHS England, NHS Primary Care providers, NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs) Employers HM Prison and Probation services HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) Youth offending services Jobcentre Plus Financial services (including banks and building societies) Community and faith groups (including faith leaders) Please EMAIL me at samantha.strongerbeginnings@gmail.com with the words Coercive Control Awareness Project as the heading, with as much information, details and facts as you are willing to share. Thank you SO much to those who already have done so, I sincerely appreciate your strength to do so. Together, we can create change. #CoerciveControl #DomesticAbuse #Awareness #Impact

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