MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS PLANNING: LEARNING TO RECOGNIZE, PREVENT AND PREPARE

Austin Police Department Senior Police Officer, Jaime Von Seltmann NAMI Austin Executive Director, Karen Ranus

MENTAL HEALTH: THE FACTS In our neighborhoods, schools, faith communities and work places, people are living with mental health disorders:

• 1 in 5 adults (AMI)

• 1 in 25 adults (SMI)

• 1 in 5 teens

• 43.8 million (18.6%) adults

More prevalent than cancer, diabetes and heart disease!

HOW DO WE DEFINE MENTAL ILLNESS?

COMMON MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS

ADHD

Anxiety Disorders

Depression

Addiction/Substance Use Disorders

Eating Disorders

Bipolar Disorder

Schizophrenia

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

MENTAL ILLNESSES • Medical illness, just like

any physical illness

• Causes include genetics, biological and environmental factors

• Affect the way people think, act and behave

• With access to the right treatment and a strong support system, people can recover and live productive and successful lives

MENTAL ILLNESS & VIOLENCE • Only about 4% of violence in the United

States can be attributed to mental illness

• 40% of news stories about mental illness connect it to violent behavior

• People with mental illness are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crime

• 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CAUSES & HOW TO RESPOND

WHAT IS A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS?

Situation in which:

• a person’s behaviors puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others

• and/or when they are not able to resolve the situation with the skills and resources available

WHAT CAUSES A CRISIS? Many triggers can lead to crisis including:

• Changes at home or in the environment

• Loss, relationships, stability

• School or work

• Stress, poor work/school relationships

• Other

• Medication, substance use, traumatic/violent community events

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS?

• Seems confused or disoriented

• Answers questions in appropriately

• Appears sad or depressed

• Seems overly spirited and animated

• Overcome with hopelessness or overwhelmed by circumstances

• Expresses bizarre or unusual ideas

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS?

• Speaks too quickly or too slowly

• Expresses racing or disconnected thoughts

• Appears disheveled

• Trembles or shakes, or is unable to sit or stand still

• Seems easily agitated

• Displays abusive behavior

HOW SHOULD YOU RESPOND TO A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS? • Stay calm and speak calmly

• Assess the situation for safety and if you, the individual or others are at risk, call 911

• Maintain adequate space between you and the person in crisis

• Respond to the person’s feelings and affirm

• Respond to the delusions and hallucinations by focusing on feelings rather than the delusion

• Be helpful, encouraging and supportive

WHEN AND WHO TO CALL IN A CRISIS

• 311 - If there is NOT an immediate threat of danger but someone is acting out due to his/her mental state

• 911 - If someone, due to his/her mental state is acting out and there IS an immediate threat of danger to that person or someone else.

911 can downgrade your call to 311 if needed. Don’t be afraid to call 911 if you can’t decide

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU CALL 911

• Remain calm so you can provide accurate and important information to the call-taker. Speak clearly and calmly.

• The goal is to resolve the emergency situation safely. Be prepared to provide the following information:

• Location of the incident

• Your name, address and phone number

• Name of the person in crisis

• Your experience, if any, with the person in crisis

• A detailed description of the person in crisis

• If your community has Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Officers, ask for one to respond

• Information on the person’s diagnosis, if known

• What the person is doing, saying, experiencing

• Is the person violent or is there any history of violence of which you are aware?

• Is the person carrying any weapon or threatening to obtain a weapon?

• These guidelines should help you develop a script so that you know what to say when and if you need to call. (Make sure you practice!)

WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES • Make arrangements for someone to meet law

enforcement when they arrive

• Try to not have anything in your hands when you meet the officer(s).

• Calmly identify yourself and offer any other information you think might be helpful.

• Be prepared to repeat the information you told the call-taker. Be clear and concise.

• Make the officers your “partners.”

• If this applies, let the officers know what has worked in the past and what hasn’t.

• Tell the officers what is happening now and why an intervention/assessment is probably needed.

• If you’d like to follow up, you may request a report or incident number.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT

• The primary function is to serve and protect the community at large.

• Officers will make an assessment of the level of danger present and use the minimum amount of force necessary to contain that threat and restore safety.

• The more information the officers have prior to responding, the better equipped they will be to negotiate a favorable outcome.

THE EMERGENCY DETENTION ORDER Use of the Emergency Detention is intended to be a last resort used when voluntary services and community-based care options are not available.

• One of three methods available in Texas to detain an individual for psychiatric care

• Of three methods, it is the only one that is available 24/7

• The order is valid for 48 hrs

• It is NOT an Official Commitment

• A doctor/physician may release the individual when the subject no longer meets the requirements of law.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

• When a person is in a mental health crisis situation which places themselves or others in immediate harm, a peace officer may take custody of that person.

• The Emergency Detention allows an officer to temporarily detain a subject and transport them to a medical facility to be seen by a physician in a certain amount of time.

Goal for Officer

• Determine if he/she believes that a person is suffering from a mental illness

• Additionally determine if the person’s actions or statements are likely to place them or others in serious harm

• The least restrictive outcome

YOUR HOMEWORK Identify your local resources:

• Keep learning! Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health Channel are great tools.

• Contact NAMI Texas to find your local NAMI affiliate: 512-693-2000

• Determine your Local Mental Health Authority (LMHA) and available resources (such as mobile outreach team-MOT)

• Create a “cheat sheet” and include hotlines, warmlines, local resources, crisis resources

• Reach out to your local law enforcement and invite them to help you develop a safety plan

Working together, we can accomplish what is needed to keep our community safe in a mental health crisis.