Evaluation of the effects of police-mental health service partnership in an experimental context

• In Event: Improving Police Responses to People with Mental Illness

Abstract

The rising number of calls for service involving individuals with mental health issues has become a real challenge to the criminal justice system. This situation is exacerbated in small, rural communities given that specialized resources for mental illness are often severely limited or not easily accessible in these areas. Police officers often find themselves playing dual roles as law enforcers and psychiatric social workers. To address this issue, a police-mental health service partnership has been formed and evaluated in an experimental context. The effectiveness of the treatment referrals is evaluated by assessing the participants’ subsequent calls to the police, the time intervals between calls, and service completion. The findings of the current study have important implications for other agencies located in non-urban settings and are equally resource-deprived.

Authors

• Yi-Fang Lu, George Mason University

• Sue-Ming Yang, George Mason University

• Charlotte E. Gill, George Mason University

• Muneeba Azam, George Mason University

• James Chapman, Roanoke County Police Department