Webinar: Law Enforcement and People with Mental Illnesses

This sounds like an excellent opportunity for members of the law enforcement profession to gain knowledge about dealing with people who have mental illness. People with severe and persistent mental illness have a higher liklihood of coming into contact with the criminal justice system for a variety of reasons. With de-institutionalization of the seriously and persistently mentally ill and a shortage of acute inpatient psychiatric beds and residential treatment opitions, the population of mentally ill jail and prison inmates has increased dramatically. Historically, the law enforcement profession and professionals within the mental health system have communicated poorly. This state of affairs is no longer an option. Please take a look at this "webinar" and see if it might be something that would benefit your community.

Webinar: Law Enforcement and People with Mental Illnesses Free: Space is Limited! Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 2:00 PM Eastern Time Duration: Approximately One Hour with Q and A Brought to you by National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare Council of State Governments Justice Center, with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice Presenters Captain Richard Wall, Los Angeles Police Department; Fred Osher, M.D., Director of Health Systems and Services Policy, CSG Justice Center; Melissa Reuland, Senior Research Consultant, Police Executive Research Forum About the Webinar Law enforcement officers regularly respond to calls that involve people with mental illnesses. On rare but highly publicized occasions, these incidents result in injury or death for the individual, officer, or others at the scene. More often, officers spend long periods of time on these complex calls for service only to see the person cycling through the criminal justice system without any positive long-term effect. On this webinar, national experts in law enforcement and mental health will discuss effective crisis response models. They will outline how community behavioral health care providers and law enforcement can collaborate and tailor responses to the problems of their jurisdiction. The webinar spotlights Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law Enforcement-Based Program, a report supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. Written by the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the Police Executive Research Forum, it highlights 10 key components for improving officers' encounters with individuals with mental illnesses. Quick Registration Registration is free but is limited to the first 1,000 registrants. To register, go to http://www2.eventsvc.com/nationalcouncil/, select the law enforcement/mental health event, and enter the coupon code COUNCIL at checkout. If registering for a webinar for the first time, create a profile with the email and password of your choice. A confirmation with webinar access information will be sent to the email address you enter. Participation will require Internet access and a phone line. Participants from the same location are encouraged to use a single phone line - one individual may register and get access information for the whole group. Questions? Contact Communications@thenationalcouncil or call 301.984.6200. More About the Presenters Captain Richard Wall, Los Angeles Police Department Captain Wall currently commands the Central Patrol Division, an area encompassing downtown Los Angeles and the "skid row" area. Formerly, Captain Wall was the Project Manager for the department's Mental Illness Projects, tasked with identifying, developing, and implementing "best practices" for law enforcement responses to people with mental illnesses. Fred Osher, M.D., Director of Health Systems and Services Policy, CSG Justice Center Dr. Osher oversees the health components of the CSG Justice Center's initiatives. He has published extensively on community psychiatry, co-occurring mental and addictive disorders, and effective approaches to persons with behavioral disorders under criminal justice supervision. Melissa Reuland, Senior Research Consultant, Police Executive Research Forum Ms. Reuland is a researcher and co-author of Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law Enforcement-Based Program. She has worked with Justice Center staff on products and TA to expand specialized law enforcement responses in cities across the nation. The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. It provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies-informed by available evidence-to increase public safety and strengthen communities. www.justicecenter.csg.org