2008 cacp and mental health commission of canada
TRANSCRIPT
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AStudyofPoliceAcademyTrainingandEducationforNewPoliceOfficersRelatedtoWorkingwithPeoplewithMentalIllness
Preparedonbehalfof
ThePolice/MentalHealthSubcommitteeoftheCanadianAssociationofChiefsofPoliceand
TheMentalHealthandtheLawAdvisoryCommitteeoftheMentalHealthCommissionofCanada
DorothyCottonandTerryColeman
November2008
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IntroductionItisagivenincontemporarypolicinginCanadathatinvolvementwithpeoplewithmental
illnesses(PMI)isanintegralpartoftheworkofpoliceofficers,particularlybutnotexclusivelyat
thelevelofthefirstresponder. Indeed,therearemanycircumstancesunderwhichpolice
officersencounterpeoplewithmentalillnesses. Theseinclude:
attendingpersonsexperiencingmentalhealthcrises,includingapprehensionsundertheMentalHealthAct;
callsinwhichthepublicisconcernedaboutthebehaviourofapersonwhomaynothaveactuallydoneanythingwrongorillegalbutismakingpeopleuncomfortable;
situationsinwhichthePMIhasbeenvictimizedby crimeorsocialdisorder;
incidents
in
which
a
call
is
received
by
police
for
any
reasona
crime
in
progress
perhapsanditturnsoutthatthepersoninvolvedisdisplayingsignsofamentalillness;
incidentsinwhichthePMImightbetakenintocustodyforhis/herownprotection;and socialcontacts(thosesituationsinwhichmentallyillpeoplewithlittleinthewayof
socialorcommunitysupportcometorelyonthepoliceorthe911lineasfriends).
Cotton(2004)commentedonthisphenomenoninherresearchrelatedtointeractions
betweenthe
police
and
PMI:
Whengovernmentscontemplatethedeinstitutionalizationandcommunityintegrationofindividualswithmentalillnesses,avarietyofcommunitysupportsandservicesareconsideredessentialanddeveloped(toagreaterorlesserextent).Butonecommunityagencywhichhasbeensignificantlyaffectedbythedownsizingofpsychiatrichospitalsisthepolice,rarelyagroupconsideredtobeacommunitymentalhealthservice.Thepolicehavebeendescribedasdefactomentalhealthprovidersandthefrontlineextensionofthementalhealthsystem.ThereremainslittledoubtthatcontactsbetweenthepoliceandthosewithmentalillnesseshaveincreasedsignificantlyasmoreandmoreindividualsexperiencingmentalillnessesareresidingoutsidethehospitalandwithinthecommunityThereasonsarecomplexandnotaltogetherclear.Tosomeextentofcourse,themerepresenceofmoreindividualswithmentalillnessesinthecommunitywillincreasecontact.Thereisalsoevidencethatthementallyillareatsignificantlyincreasedriskofbeingvictimsofcrime,giventheirvulnerabilityThequestionofincreasedriskofviolentbehaviouramongthosewithmentalillnessesremainscontroversial
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tosomeextent,althoughitappearsclearthatindividualswhoarenotproperlytreatedandwhoabusesubstancesareindeedatincreasedrisk.Ithasbeennotedthatthearrestrateofthosewithmentalillnessesishigherthanthatofothers,buthowmuchofthisisattributabletoanactualincreaseincriminalorviolentbehaviourandhowmuchisattributabletothephenomenondescribedasthecriminalizationofthementallyillisnotclearHowever,regardlessofwhetherthecontactsbetweenthepoliceandindividualswithmentalillnessesareattributabletoincreasedviolence,increasedvictimizationoratendencytocriminalize,whatisclearisthatthenumbersaregoingup.
Intheyearssincethatstatementwaspublished,thesituationhasbecomeevenclearer. The
recent(2008)studyLostinTranslationconductedbytheVancouverPolicesuggestedahigh
percentageoftheircallsoverathirdinsomepartsoftheirjurisdictioninvolvedpeople
withmentalillnesses. Adetailedanalysisofallpoliceoccurrencereportsin2005inthemuch
smallerjurisdictionofBelleville,Ontario(populationapproximately45,000)revealedamuch
lowerpercentageoftheircallsinvolvedPMIonlyabout6%(BellevillePoliceService,2007).
However,even6%representsasignificantcommitmentofpoliceresourcesandtime. Studies
inLondon,Ontario(Handfordetal,2005)haveindicatedthatPMIaretwotothreetimesmore
likelytohaveinteractionswithpolicethanarepeoplewithoutamentalillness. Publicationsby
theBritishColumbiabranchoftheCanadianMentalHealthAssociationestimate715%of
police
calls
involve
people
with
mental
illnesses.
In
most
cases,
PMI
who
encounter
police
seemtodosomorethanonce. Inallcases,thereissignificantconcernaboutensuringthe
officersinvolvedareinformedandskilledininteractingwithpeoplewhomaybeexperiencing
mentalhealthissues.
WhilethenumberofinteractionsacrossCanadabetweenpoliceandPMIisdifficultto
determinegiventhemannerinwhichpolicekeeptheirrecords,thepotentialnumberof
interactions
is
staggering
based
on
an
estimation
derived
from
previous
research.
For
instance,
evenifoneacceptsthelowerproportionsuggestedbytheBellevilleresearch,which
determinedthatonaverageafirstresponder/patrolofficerwillencounterabout40PMIeach
year,andassumingabouthalfofCanadaspoliceofficersarefrontlineorfirstresponders,
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therearelikelyabout1.3millionsuchinteractionseachyear.1 Thisaloneprovidescompelling
supportforensuringthatpolicearetrainedandeducatedinthismatteratleastatthebasic
traininglevel.
Whilesomeinteractionsresultinatragedythatgarnerssubstantialmediaattention,the
majorityofsuchinteractionsarefortunatelyresolvedsuccessfully. AstudybyColemanand
Cotton(2005)forexample,indicatedthatinthetenyearperiod19922002inclusive,there
wereonlyelevensituationsacrossCanadainwhichapersonwithamentalillnessdiedinan
interactionwiththepolice. However,elevensuchsituationsisclearlyeleventoomany! In
coroners/medicalexaminersinquestsintothesedeaths,themostcommonrecommendation
wasforimproved,ormore,policetrainingwithrespecttohowtoworkwithpersonswitha
mentalillness.
And,indeed,trainingandeducationhasbeenoccurring. Anecdotalinformationsuggeststhat
therehasbeenadramaticincreaseinbothatthebasiclevelandatthelevelofinservice
traininginthelastseveralyears. Butwhatisapparentisthatthereisnocommonlyaccepted
standardnocommoncurriculum.
Thisraises,ofcourse,thequestion:Whatdopoliceofficersneedtoknow? Althoughthe
answerissimplisticinthatessentiallypoliceofficersneedtoknowenoughtobeabletodo
theirjobs,weneedtobemorespecific. Itisreasonabletosuggestthattheyshouldatleast
knowenoughabout:
thesignsandsymptomsofmentalillnesstobeabletorecognizeapersonwithamentalillnesswhentheyencounterone;
thenormalpoliceproceduresthatwouldtypicallydisarmaperson,stabilizethesituationorleadtocooperationmayhavetheoppositeeffectonapersonwhoisina
mentalhealthcrisis;
1ThisfigureisbasedontheStatisticsCanadaestimatethattherewere64,134policeofficersinCanadain2007.
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howtomakeinformeddecisionsregardingwhentoapprehend,whentoarrest,whentodivert,whentoseekadditionalinput;
aboutmentalillnesstomakesomekindofassessmentabouthowmuchcontroltheindividualislikelytohaveofhis/herbehavior;
whetheritislikelythatthePMIiscapableofunderstandingandrespondingtotheirdirections;
beingcomfortablewithdefusingandcalmingtechniques beingabletoassesssuiciderisk; beingfamiliarenoughwithmentalhealthlegislationtotakeappropriateaction; beingawareofmentalhealthagenciesandoptions,andwhotocallforconsultation,
andassistance;
beingawareofthestigmaandbiaswithwhichmostpeopleincludingboththepublicandthepoliceapproachpeoplewithmentalillnesses.
Indeed,mostcurrentpolicetraining/educationprogramsinCanadalikelyreflectmanyifnotall
ofthesegoalstoatleastsomeextent. Thisissupportedbyacursoryreviewofthecontentof
somepolicetrainingmanualssuchasthoseoftheOntarioPoliceCollege,CalgaryPoliceand
Montgomery(Md)
Police
in
the
US.
This
review
suggests
that
training
includes:
signsandsymptomsofmajormentalillnesses; indicationsforthepresenceofsubstanceabuse; effectsofstress; assessingsuicidalintent; behaviouralmanagementstrategies; applicationofmentalhealthlaw;and accessingservices.
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Notwithstandingthis,thepurposeofthisstudywastodeterminewhatisactuallydeliveredat
theCanadianpoliceacademies2withaviewtowarddeterminingthestrengthsandgaps,and
makingsuggestionsforbestpracticesatthebasictraininglevel. Itisintendedthatthis
informationwillprovideguidanceforthedesignanddeliveryofmoreadvancedinservice
training.
MethodsThereare13policeacademies/collegesinCanadawhichprovidebasictraining/educationto
newpoliceofficers. Academiesareeithernational(asinthecaseoftheRCMP),provincialor
regional(OntarioPoliceCollege,AtlanticPoliceAcademy,SaskatchewanPoliceCollegeandthe
JusticeInstituteofBritishColumbia)orundertheauspicesofaparticularpoliceservice(RNC,
Halifax,Winnipeg,Brandon,Calgary,Lethbridge,andEdmonton). InQuebec,aslightlydifferent
modeliseffectwherebyallpolicecandidatesmustfirstobtainacollegeleveldiplomafroma
CEGEP3programbeforeattendingtheprovincialacademy. Albertasschemeischanging. Itis
anticipatedthatthetraining/educationcurrentlydeliveredindividuallybyEdmonton,Calgary,
andLethbridgewillbereplacedinthefuturebytraining/educationdevelopedcentrallybythe
AlbertaSolicitorGeneral. (Theproposedcurriculumforthemoduleonworkingwithpeople
with
mental
illnesses
is
included
in
this
survey,
although
at
the
time
of
writing,
this
module
was
notyetoperational.) Somepoliceservices(suchasTorontoPoliceServiceandtheOPP
Academy)requirethatnewcandidatesfirstattendaprovincialorregionalacademythen
participateinadditionaltrainingspecifictothatservice. InothercasesOPPandToronto
Policethepoliceserviceoperatesitsownacademybutnewpoliceofficersfirstattendthe
OntarioPoliceCollege(OPC). Finally,somejurisdictions(e.g.Quebec,RNC)requirespecific
prerequisiteeducationbeforeacandidatecanbeacceptedintothepoliceserviceorattendthe
academy.
2 Policeacademyinthecontextofthisstudyincludesalllearninginstitutionsoperatedinternallybypolice
agenciesand/ortheprovincialorfederalgovernmentsonbehalfofpoliceagenciesforthepurposeofprovingbasicandinservicetrainingtopoliceofficersandpoliceemployees.3CEGEPreferstoCollged'enseignementgnraletprofessionnel,meaning"CollegeofGeneralandVocationalEducation". Generally,thisisequivalenttoacommunitycollege
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Forthepurposesofthisstudy,questionnairesweredistributedtothefollowing
colleges/academies:
RoyalNewfoundlandConstabulary AtlanticPoliceAcademyPEI HalifaxRegionalPolice coleNationaledeQubec JohnAbbotCEGEP(asarepresentativeoftheCEGEPsysteminQuebec) OntarioPoliceCollege(OPC) OntarioProvincialPolice TorontoPoliceService WinnipegPoliceService BrandonPoliceService SaskatchewanPoliceCollege RCMPAcademy CalgaryPoliceService AlbertaSolicitorGeneral LethbridgePolice EdmontonPoliceService JusticeInstituteofBritishColumbia(JIBC).
Eachacademy/collegewasaskedtorespondtoaseriesofquestionsabout:
thenumberofhoursoftraining/educationrelatedspecificallytoworkingwithPMI; thenatureandcontentofsuchtraining/education,andthetopicscovered; theteachingmodalitiesemployedandtypesofpersonnelinvolved;and othercourses,modulesandpartsofthecurriculuminwhichthetopicofinteracting
withPMImaybeaddressed.
Oncetheinitialresponseswereobtained,followupinterviewswereconductedtoobtain
additionalinformationandclarificationasnecessary.
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Responseswereobtainedfromalltheacademies/collegeslisted. However,theToronto
PoliceServiceandtheOPPAcademyreportedthat,asnoted,theirbasictrainingoccursat
OPCandthustheydonotprovideadditionalbasictraining/educationinthisareatotheir
ownnewofficers.
Results1. DoCanadianpoliceacademiesgenerallyprovidetrainingspecifictoworkingwithpeoplewithmentalillness?
TheanswertothisquestionwasaresoundingYES.AllnewpoliceofficersinCanadacurrentlyreceiveatleastminimaltraininginthisarea. Alltrainingprogramsindicatedthattraininginthisareaiscurrentlyanintegralpartoftheirbasictraining.
2. Howmuchtraining/educationarenewpoliceofficersreceiving?Newpoliceofficerstypicallyreceiveinformationrelatedtoworkingwithpeoplewithmental
illnessesthroughtwochannels. First,theremightbecurriculumspecificallyaddressingthe
topic
or
second,
there
may
be
reference
to
working
with
people
with
mental
illnesses
in
the
contextofothercourses,suchasinuseofforcetraining.
Asnotedabove,allbasictrainingprogramsstudiedincludeacomponentspecificallyrelatedto
workingwithPMI. Thenumberofhours,however,variesdramatically,fromonlyonehour
(Lethbridge)to24hours(Edmonton).
Fourprogramsprovidefivehoursorless:Lethbridge(1);Brandon(3),RCMP(4),JIBC(5). OPCprovides7hoursandCalgaryprovides7.5hours. RNC,Halifax,Winnipeg,andSaskatchewan,deliverbetween10and20hours. EdmontonandtheAtlanticPoliceAcademyprovideover20hours.
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However,inaddition,mostacademiesalsoincludeinformationaboutpeoplewithmental
illnessesinavarietyofothercoursesormodules. Mostcommonly,respondentsindicatedthat
thisinformationisincludedin:
useofforce(6programs); trainingrelatedtoconductedenergyweapons(4); tacticalcommunications(3); law,provincialstatutesandbylaws(3); firearms(2);and officersafety(2).
Respondentscited
the
following
police
academy
courses
that
include
information
related
to
mentalhealthissues.
Sociology Crisisresolution Civiliandiversity Incustodydeaths Statementadmissibility Interviewingandinterrogation Forensicinterviewing Managingthepolicefunction Communitypolicing Criminaljusticesystem Exciteddelirium Incidentmanagement Careandhandingofprisoners Suicideinterventions Controltactics Callsimulation Verbaljudo
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Legalstudies Trafficviolatorbehaviour
Trainingprogramsareofcourseconfigureddifferentlyfromoneorganizationtoanother,and
whatisincludedinonecourseinoneacademymightnotbeincludedelsewhereinanother
programatanotheracademy. Thus,thebestestimateoftotaltrainingrelatedtomentalillness
mightbeobtainedbysummingthenumberofhoursspentonthetopicbothdirectlyand
indirectlythroughothercourses. Thisapproachsuggeststhatthetotalnumberofhoursvaries
from5to30.
However,
it
is
also
worth
noting
that
a
simple
tally
of
the
number
of
hours
involved
does
not
necessarilyaccuratelyrepresenttheamountoftrainingthatanewofficerreceives.Thisis
particularlythecaseinacademiesinwhichtrainingdeviatesfromthetypicalacademicformat
thatisusedinmostcases.ThenumberofhoursprovidedinQuebecforexampleisvariableand
difficulttodetermine. LcoleNationaleexpectsthatthistypeofeducationisprovidedinthe
CEGEPprograms.Itlogicallycorrespondswithanumberoftherequiredcompetenciesincluding
interactionwithdistinctiveclienteles,adaptingtheprinciplesandbasictechniquesof
communication
to
the
context,
and
working
in
partnership
with
different
community
resources.4 However,therearenocompetenciesthatspecificallyaddressinteractionswith
PMI.
TheRCMPAcademyalsoprovidesaslightlydifferentapproachinthatitemploysanintegrated,
problembasedlearning(PBL)methodologyinthedesignofthecurriculumfortheCadet
TrainingProgram. InthePBLcurriculum,cadetslearnbysolvingproblemsthroughresearch
andinformation
gathering,
and
group
problem
solving
exercises
supplemented
by
lecture
and/ordemonstrationperformance,asappropriate.Casestudiesprovidelearning
opportunitiesinwhichcadetscanintegratetheknowledgeandskillsnecessarytomanagereal
policesituationsinamannerconsistentwiththedirectionsandprioritiesoftheRCMP.Rather
4Thisisnotanexhaustivelistoftherelevantcompetenciesbutratherprovidesasampleoftheareasinwhichthesubjectofmentalillnessmaybecovered
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thanbeinginstructedonaparticularcontentarea,cadetslearntoapplyallcontentareas
relatedtoaparticulartypeofincidentorsituation. Thus,whiletherearefourhoursofspecific
contentrelatedtomentalillnessinthetraining,therearemanyotherhoursintegratedintothe
scenarios.Forexample,cadetsmustworktheirwaythroughacaseinvolvingasuicidalclientin
essentiallyrealtime.
AsisthecaseinQuebec,therearenospecificcompetenciesidentifiedbytheRCMPAcademy
thatarespecifictomentalillness.Therearehoweveranumberofcompetenciesthatmaywell
reflectknowledgeandskillsinthisareaforexample:
respondingsensitivelyto,andworkinginpartnershipwith,diversecitizens
and
communities;
demonstratinganunderstandingof,andsensitivity,todifferencesinhandlingdiversesituationsand/orinteractingwithpeople;and
usingacalm,reasonable,supportiveapproachtodemonstratesensitivitytothepsychologicalstateofvictim.5
3. Whattechniquesareusedtoteachthematerialdescribedabove?Of
the
14
institutions
that
responded
and
provide
basic
training,
thirteen usealectureformat(oneiscompletelyonline); sixemployroleplays; eightusesimulations; four incorporateonlinematerial; twohavepeoplewithmentalillnessesinvolvedinthetraining; eighthavepresentationsbymentalhealthprofessionals; fivehavepresentationsbymentalhealthorganizationssuchastheSchizophrenia
Society,theCanadianMentalHealthAssociationorlocalmentalhealthagencies;and
fiveutilizevideosorfilms.
5Similarly,thisisnotanexhaustivelistoftheareasincurriculuminwhichmentalillnessmaybeaddressed
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4. Forhowmanyyearshavepoliceservicesbeenincludingthissubjectmatterintheirbasictraining?
Itisapparentfromthestudythatanumberofpoliceacademieshavebeenofferingsome
traininginthisareasincethelate1970sbutinothercasestrainingwasinitiatedasrecentlyas
2005. Specifically,
fiveservicesofferedsuchtrainingpriorto1990; threebegantraininginthe1990s;and fivehavebeentraininginthisareasince2000orlater.
(The
centralized
Alberta
Solicitor
General
program
is
not
yet
operational
and
as
noted
earlier
willlikelyreplaceotherAlbertabasedtraining).
5.Whatspecificallyisincludedinthecontentofthiscoursework?Giventhattheamountoftimespecificallydevotedtothistopicvariesfromoneto24hoursand
totaltrainingvariesfromfiveto30hours,itcanreasonablybeconcludedthatthereisa
substantialvariationincontent. Sincecourseoutlineswerenotprovidedbyallacademies,each
wasasked
to
identify
whether
the
topics
mentioned
earlier
in
this
paper
as
key
components
of
trainingwereaddressedintheirtraining.
Respondentswereprovidedwithalistoftopicsandaskedwhethertheyprovided
(a)thoroughordetailedcoverageofthetopic,
(b)somelimitedcoverage,or
(c)thetopicisnotaddressedatall.
Resultsindicatehowmanyacademiesaddresseachofthefollowingareas(11academies
providedenoughinformationtobeincludedinthispartoftheanalysis).
thestigmaofmentalillnessa.7
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b.4
recognizingthesignsandsymptomsofmentalillnessa.8b.3
understandingmajorpsychiatricdisorderssuchasschizophrenia,bipolardisorder,Alzheimersdiseasea.7b.4
verbalcommunicationstrategiesforinteractingwithpeoplewithmentalillnessesa.11
mentalillnessanddangerousnessa.
8b.2
c.1
dealingwithaggressioninpeoplewithmentalillnessa.9b.1c.1
interactingwithpeoplewhoarehallucinatingordelusionala.8b.
2
c.1
effectiverelationshipswiththementalhealthsystema.5b.3c.3
effectiverelationshipswiththeemergencyroom(asrelatestopeoplewithmentalillnesses)
a.4
b.4c.2
suicideinterventionsa.10c.1
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apprehensionsunderamentalhealthacta.8b.2c.1
useofforceandalternativeswithpeoplewithmentalillnessesa.8b.3
mentalhealthlawa.8b.2c.1
mental
disorder
provisions
under
the
Criminal
Code
(e.g.
NCR,
fitness
etc)
a.6b.4c.1
specialpoliceprogramsandservicesforpeoplewithmentalillnessesa.4b.7
victimprecipitatedhomicide(AKAsuicidebycop)a.8b.2
c.1
workingwithfamiliesofpeoplewithmentalillnessesa.3b.6c.1
exciteddeliriuma.9
b.2
incidentmanagementwhenapersonwithamentalillnessisinvolveda.5b.3c.3
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Itisdifficulttodrawconclusionsfromthesedataastheyaresubjectiveandthenumberof
academies/collegesistoosmalltowarrantanystatisticalanalyses. Notwithstandingthe
demandsforawiderangeoftrainingandeducationintotalfornewpoliceofficersand
consequenttimedemandsonthebasictrainingcurriculum,itappearsthatpoliceacademies
(andthuspoliceservices)haveverydifferentideasaboutwhatisadequateorextensive
coverageforaddressingpoliceandtheirinteractionswithPMI. Forinstance,somepolice
academiesthatincludemanyhoursofpolice/mentalhealthtrainingindicatedtheyhadonly
limitedcoverageofagiventopicwhileotherswhohadveryfewhoursindicatedextensive
coverageofmanytopics. Surprisingly,oneacademywhichprovidesamongthefewesthoursof
trainingintotalindicatedthatitcoveredallofthesetopicsinsomedetail!
However,eventakingtheselimitationsintoconsideration,thesedatadoprovideuswithsome
usefulinformation. Theytelluswhichtopicsaregenerallyrecognizedbyacademiesas
essential. Forexample,virtuallyallprogramsaddressverbalstrategies,dealingwithaggression
andsuicide. Mostalsocoverthebasicsofsymptomologysuchasexciteddelirium,mental
healthlaw,dangerousnessanduseofforceoptions. However,thedataalsoindicatethatin
somecases,thereislimitedcoverageandthusunderstandingoftheissuesasitissimplynot
possible
to
cover
these
topics
in
the
times
reported.
DiscussionAtpresent,accordingtothisstudyallpoliceacademiesinCanadathatprovidebasicpolice
officertrainingdeliveratleastaminimalintroductiontoissuesrelatedtoworkingwithpeople
withmentalillnesses. Includingcontentrelatedtopeoplewithmentalillnessesinthebasic
trainingcurriculum,regardlessofthelengthandcontent,helpstosendaclearmessageto
officers
in
training
that
this
is
indeed
an
integral
and
important
part
of
police
work.
While
todaythismayseemobvious,anecdotallyasrecentlyastheearly2000sthereremained
significantdebateaboutwhetherworkingwithpeoplewithmentalillnesses(PMI)waseven
appropriatelyconsideredaspartofapoliceofficersrole. Itappearsthatquestionhaslikely
beenputtorest.
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However,mostofficerswillhavehadfewerthan10hoursoftraining/educationwhileatpolice
academyfortheirbasictraining,andmanyofthosewhobegantheircareersbefore2000will
nothavehadthistrainingatallwhiletheywereatthepoliceacademy. Whilesomeacademies
havebeenincludingsuchtrainingintheircurriculumsince1974,fewerthanhalfweredoingso
eventenyearsago.
Asnoted,thenumberofhoursoftrainingthatareprovidedisvariable. Insomecases,the
inclusionisbrief,lastingonlyafewhoursorevenless. Whilethatmightbeasufficientperiod
oftimetobegintosensitizenewofficerstothefactthatsomeofthepeopletheyinteractwith
mighthaveamentalillness,itislikelyinsufficienttoteachthespecificskillsnecessarytobe
effective,norsufficienttoaddresstheessentialissuesofstigma,biasandpersonalattitudes.
Howmanyhoursisenough? Thereisnoempiricallybasedanswertothatquestion. Thereisno
researchthatindicateswhetheradditionaltraining/educationleadstobetteroutcomesinthis
areaandindeeditwouldbenavetosuggestthatthereissuchadirectlinkbetweenhoursof
trainingandspecificskills. However,policeacademiesdohaveanobligationtoprovide
essential
knowledge
and
skills,
so
the
question
becomes:
how
long
would
it
take
to
adequately
covertheessentialareasandwhataretheessentialareas?
Itisinformativetolookattheindustrystandardoftrainingforprogramssuchasmental
healthCrisisInterventionTeams.6 Theseprogramsaretypically40hoursinduration,and
producewhatareconsideredspecializedofficerswithexpertiseinmentalhealthrelated
issues. Ithasbeenarguedthatifapoliceserviceordetachmentdoesnothavespecially
designated
and
trained
officers
available
as
a
resource,
then
ALL
officers
need
a
higher
level
of
traininginthisarea. Whileitappearsunrealistictoexpectanacademytoprovideafull40
hoursatthebasicintroductorylevel,itdoesmeanthatacademiesmightalsoneedtotakeinto
6TheCITmodel,oftencalledtheMemphismodel,involvesapoliceservicehavingacomplementofhighlytrained
specialistofficerswhoactasaresourcetootherofficers,attendmanymentalhealthrelatedcalls,andliaisewiththementalhealthsystem.
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considerationthegeographicalareasinwhichtheirofficerswilleventuallypolicewhen
consideringtheappropriateamountoftraining. Forexample,itmeansthatservicessuchasthe
RCMPandOPP,whichprovidepolicingtomanysmallerandremoteareaswithlittleintheway
ofcommunityresources,mighthavetoprovidemoretrainingthanperhapsEdmontonwhere
dedicatedmentalhealthteamsandspecializedservicesareavailable. Manyservicesrelyon
provincialorregionalacademiesandthusthespecifictrainingmaynotbeentirelyadequatefor
localpurposes.ThesituationinBritishColumbiaexemplifiesthat.
IfthedataintherecentLostinTransitionstudyarereliedon,onemightsurmisethatthe
VancouverPolicespendmoretimewithpeoplewithmentalillnessesthanwouldsomeother
policeinBCorelsewhere. Thus,forexample,VancouverPolicemightneedtosupplementthe
basicJIBCtraining,evenatthenewofficerlevel.
Whilecontentisofcourseimportant,soisthemethodoftransferringknowledge. Withthe
exceptionofonecourse(notyetinoperation),alltrainingreportedincludesalargelecture
component. Inafewinstances,alltheteachingisdeliveredinalectureformat. Thisisof
coursenotideal,asadultlearningprincipleswouldsuggestthatskillsarenotbesttaughtor
assessed
through
this
medium.
Training
at
most
academies
includes
some
role
play
or
simulationbutatfiveacademies,thisisnotthecase. Itisalsoapparentthatfewacademies
(onlyfour)aremakinguseofonlineresources. Similarly,onlyfiveacademiesmakeuseoffilms
orvideostosupplementtraining. Again,giventhewealthofresourcesavailable,thisis
unfortunate.AttheoppositeextremeistheRCMPAcademywhichincludesrelativelylittle
formallecturematerialinthisareabutreliesheavilyonproblembasedlearning(PBL)andthe
useofrealtimescenarios.
However,probablythemostglaringgapintrainingandeducationnationallyisthatonlytwo
academiesinvolveapersonindeliveryoftheirtrainingwhoactuallyhasamentalillness. The
researchliteratureindicatesthatexposuretoapersonwithamentalillnessisprobablythe
mostpowerfultoolavailableforchangingattitudestowardmentalillness. Whileitisbeyond
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thescopeofthisstudytoexaminethisindetail,itisalsoworthnotingthattheexclusionofthe
verypeoplewhoarerecipientsofthepoliceinteractionsbeingtaughtiscontrarytoboth
contemporarypolicingmodelsandcurrentmentalhealthtreatmentmodels. Inclusionof
peoplewithmentalillnessesinthetrainingdeliverynotonlyprovidesaricheducationtothe
policeofficersbutalsosendsamessagetothoseindividualsandagenciesinthecommunity
whoworkwithpeoplewithmentalillnessesthatpoliceareactivelyinvolvedinthisareaand
workingfromacommunityintegrationmodel.
Notsurprisingly,manyacademiesalsodonotincludeeithermentalhealthagenciesormental
healthprofessionalsintheirtraining(fiveof14havepresentationsbymentalhealthagencies;
eightof14includementalhealthprofessionals). Theissueofincludingmentalhealthagencies
iscomplex. Ifoneacceptsthecontentionthatoneofthepurposesoftraininginthisareaisto
improvecoordinationandcooperationbetweenpoliceagenciesandmentalhealthsystems,
thenitisessentialthatnewofficershaveachancetointeractwithmentalhealthprofessionals
andseetheminaconstructivelight. (Formanypoliceofficers,theironlyreallifeexposureto
amentalhealthprofessionalwillbeinthecontextofapreemploymentpsychologicalscreening
hardlyacontextthatengenderspositivefeelings. Otherwise,they,likethepublic,may
associate
mental
health
professionals
with
white
coats,
butterfly
nets
and
couches
obviously
agrosslyinaccuratepicture.)
Fromapositiveperspective,thereseemstobeconsensuswithrespecttothemostimportant
areasthatneedtobecoveredintraining. Asnotedearlier,mostprogramsaddressverbal
strategies,suicidalideationandissuesrelatedtosignsandsymptoms. Howevernotall
programscovertheseareas. Ifoneacceptsthetenetthatbeingabletorecognizewhena
person
has
a
mental
illness
is
important
if
not
essential,
then
it
is
concerning
that
some
programsdonotaddresssymptoms,introducethemajordiagnosticcategoriesortalkabout
howtointeractwithapersonexperiencingpsychoticsymptoms.
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BestPractices/EmergingTrendsUnfortunately,thereisnotyetanyempiricallysupportablewaytodefineabestpracticeor
determinewhatmethodsofinstructionaremosteffectiveinthecontextofpoliceandtheir
interactionwithPMI. Buttheinformationgleanedinthepresentstudydoeshighlightsome
processeswhichatleasthavethepotentialofleadingtheway. Theseinclude:
EdmontonPoliceServiceEdmontonappearstoprovidethemosthoursoftraining/education,whichisa24hourcourse.
Itisalsolinkedandincludespresentationsbytheirpoliceservicesmentalhealthjointresponse
teamstodevelopfamiliaritywiththoseservices.
RoyalNewfoundlandConstabulary(RNC)TheRNCprovides16hoursofdirectbasictrainingandincludesnotonlylecturesandroleplays,
butalsoincludespresentationsbyPMI,mentalhealthprofessionalsandmentalhealth
organizations. Inaddition,theirprogramislinkedwiththePoliceStudiesProgramatMemorial
Universitywherestudentswillhavecompletedatotaloffourpsychologycourses(including
forensicpsychologyandabnormalpsychology). Inaddition,furtheralongintheirtraining,
cadets
complete
ASIST
7
suicide
intervention
training
(2
days),
one
day
related
to
fetal
alcohol
spectrumdisordersand2daysofaseminarentitledChangingMinds. Recently,newofficers
havealsocompletedtheonlinetrainingmoduleofferedbytheCanadianPoliceKnowledge
Network.8 ItmaybethattheRNCiscurrentlysettingthestandardinthisarea.
AtlanticPoliceAcademy(APA)Inadditiontoprovidingagenerallycomprehensivecurriculumof18hourswhichincludesa
variety
of
formats
including
lecture,
role
plays,
and
extensive
use
of
various
media,
this
programincludesbothpeoplewithmentalillnessesandmentalhealthprofessionals. Thereis
7ASISTistheacronymforAppliedSuicideInterventionSkillsTraining,awelldevelopedandwidelyusedapproach
toteachingskillsrelatedtoworkingwithsuicidalpeople.8Thisisa2hourcoursedevelopedbytheDalhousieUniversityDepartmentofPsychiatryandentitledRecognition
ofEmotionallyDisturbedPersons
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alsoauniqueempathylabcomponentwhichrequirestheofficerstospendtimeinthe
communityatasocialserviceagencyandthusinteractwithpeoplewithmentalillnessesina
realworldsituation.
OntarioPoliceCollege(OPC)OPChasdevelopedprobablythemostcomprehensivewrittenmaterialonworkingwithPMI
(Notjustanothercall),whichprovidesofficerswithareadyresourcebothwhileatthe
academyandlaterintheirwork.
JusticeInstituteofBritishColumbia(JIBC)PIIMIC9throughtheJIBCwebsiteisacomprehensiveonlinesourceofinformationabout
mentalillness,legislationandrelatedmatters.
AlbertaItisalsoworthnotingthesubstantialworkcompletedbytheOfficeoftheAlbertaSolicitor
General,whichincludesanoutstandingonlinecourse. However,itisnotyetoperationalandas
ofyetisnotpartofanybasicpoliceofficerleveltraining.
FuturedirectionsTheinformationabovelargelydescribesthesituationasitiscurrently. Thisinevitablyleadsto
thequestionofwherethingsshouldbegoing. Therearemanyideasthatemergefromthedata
andtheyarepresentedherefordiscussionpurposes.
Policeacademiesmaywanttostriveforthetypeofcomprehensivetrainingthatiscurrently
offered
by
the
RNC
and
the
Atlantic
Police
Academy
which
includes
not
only1618hoursofdirectbasictrainingrelatedtoworkingwithpeoplewithmental
illnesses,butalsoincludesavarietyoflearningmediums,directcontactwithboth
peoplewithmentalillnessesandmentalhealthprofessionals.
9PIIMICstandsforPoliceInterventionInMentalIllnessCrisis
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TheCACPHumanResourcesCommittee,throughitssubcommitteeCanadianAssociationofPoliceEducators(CAPE),maywanttoconsiderworkingwithpolice
academiestodeveloporencourageacommoncorecurriculumincludingreading
lists,andonlinematerialstomakeuseofsomeofthemanyoutstandingresources
thathavebeendevelopedandavoidduplicationofefforts.
Thereisgeneralacceptancethatinformationrelatedtomentalillnessisbestcoveredwhenitisintegratedinmultipletrainingcourses,seminarsormodules.
Thesehourscouldbedistributedbetweenfocusedsessionsdealingexclusivelywith
mental
illness,
or
incorporated
into
other
course
work
(e.g.
use
of
force,
provincial
statutes)aswellasbeingthesubjectofproblembasedlearningexperiences(PBL).
Italsoseemsappropriatethatthecurriculumshould,ataminimum,addresstherangeoftopicsdescribedearlierinthispaper,sincevirtuallyallofthesetopicsare
eithertacitlyendorsedbythemajorityofacademiesorhavebeenidentifiedin
Coroners/MedicalExaminersreportsasbeingrelevant.
PoliceagenciesorpoliceacademieswhichrelyonexternalprerequisitetrainingoutsidetheiracademysuchasisthesituationinQuebecmaywanttoensure
thattrainingrelatedtoworkingwithPMIisspecificallyidentifiedinexternalcourse
contentandidentifiedasaspecificcompetencetoavoidthepossibilityof
inconsistencyfromoneprogramtoanother.
Similarly,academieswhichtakeamorecompetencybasedandproblemfocusedapproachsuchastheRCMPAcademymaywanttodevelopgoalsandcompetencies
whichspecificallyidentifyissuesrelatedtoworkingwithpeoplewithmentalillness
toensurethatalltheprimarygoalsrelatedtothisclientgroupareindeedcovered.
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Alltrainingprogramsshouldideallyincludepresentationsby,andinteractionswith,peoplewhoareactuallylivingwithamentalillnessandtheirfamiliesaswellas
presentationsbymentalhealthprofessionals.
Individualpoliceservicesmaywanttopayspecialattentiontothedegreeandnatureoftrainingprovidedbytheirrespectiveacademiessothatitcanbe
supplementedasnecessarybytheirpoliceservice(e.g.policeofficerswhoare
trainedprovinciallyregionallyornationallywillnothavelearnedaboutlocal
resourcesorinteragencyagreements) Policeserviceswhichrelyoncentralized
trainingas(opposedtoinhousetraining)shouldbewellacquaintedwiththenature
and
extent
of
the
relevant
academys
training
in
this
area
so
that
appropriate
additionaltrainingcanbeprovidedlocallyonceacademytrainingiscomplete.
Individualpoliceservicesmayalsowanttoreviewthetrainingoftheircurrentcomplementofofficersbearinginmindtheyearinwhichtheirrespectiveacademy
beganthistrainingandensurethatofficerswhodidnotreceiveacademylevel
traininghaveindeedreceivedtrainingspecifictothisareasincethattime.
Considerationmightbegiventoprovidingadditionalspecializedtrainingtoofficersbeforebeingpostedtoremoteareas. Policeservicesinwhichasignificant
percentageofofficersarepostedtoremoteareasmaywanttoincreasethenumber
ofhoursprovidedatthebasictraininglevelinordertoaccommodatethis.
AfinalthoughtThis
review
only
addresses
training
and
education
which
occurs
at
the
academy/college
level.
Obviously,learningonlystartsthereandtheissueofwhatongoingeducationandlearning
occursastheofficeradvancesisequallyimportant. Ideally,apoliceservicescurriculumrelated
tounderstandingmentalillnesswilltakeintoaccountboththetrainingandeducationthatthe
newofficerreceivesattheacademy,andthetrainingopportunitiesthatariseonces/heison
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theroad. Thisreportdoesnotaddressinservicetrainingdirectly,10butdoesacknowledge
thatitisanequallyimportantpartofthelearningprocess,andthatacademylearningneedsto
bedevelopedbearinginmindthenatureandextentoffuturelearningopportunities. Indeed,it
canbearguedthatfewnewofficerscomeintopolicingwiththeexpectationofdealing
extensivelywithpeoplewithmentalillnesses,andthatoverexposuretothetopicmight
actuallyhaveanegativeratherthanpositiveeffectonnewofficers. Inanidealworld,basic
trainingwouldbelinkeddirectlytoongoinginserviceeducation,whichmightprovidejunior
officerswiththeskillstheyneedinthisareaatatimewhentheyaremostlikelytoappreciate
them.
Forfurtherinformationorinquiriesaboutthissurvey,[email protected]
Weextendsincereappreciationtothestaffateachpoliceacademyandpolicecollegewhotookthetimetorespondmorethanoncetoourinquiriesaboutthenatureandextentofthetraining/educationtheydeliverinthisarea.
10IssuesrelatedtoinserviceandadvancedpatroltrainingrelatedtoPMIwillbethesubjectofafuturereport.
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ReferencesBellevillePoliceService.(2007).PoliceInteractionswithEmotionalDisturbed/MentallyIll
People:AComprehensiveReviewandAnalysis.Belleville,Ontario:BellevillePoliceService.
CanadianMentalHealthAssociation,BritishColumbiaDivision.(n.d.)MentalHealthandtheCriminalJusticeSystem.Retrievedfromhttp://www.cmha.bc.ca/advocacy/justiceOctober,2008.
Coleman,T.&Cotton,D. (2005).AStudyofFatal InteractionsbetweenCanadianPoliceandMentally Ill Persons. Presented at the International Association of Law and MentalHealthConference,Paris,France.
Cotton,D. (2004).TheattitudesofCanadianpoliceofficerstowardthementallyill.InternationalJournalofLawandMentalHealth,27,135146.
Hartford,K.,Heslop,L.,Stitt,L.&Hoch,J.(2005).Designofanalgorithmtoidentifypersonswithmentalillnessinapoliceadministrativedatabase.InternationalJournalofLawandPsychiatry28,111.
Hoffman,R.&Putman,L. (2004).NotJustAnotherCall...PoliceResponsetoPersonswithMentalIllnesses.AlymerWest,Ontario:OntarioPoliceCollege
WilsonBates,F. (2008).LostinTransition:howalackofcapacityinthementalhealthsystemisfailingVancouversmentallyillanddrainingpolicingresources. Vancouver,BritishColumbia:
Vancouver
Police
Department.