UPDATE

Mental Health Training for Law Enforcement Officers 

By April Banerjee, Program Manager for Public Awareness and Education

People With Disabilities Foundation’s (PWDF’s) Fall 2014 e-newsletter included an article about the need for more law enforcement crisis intervention training to reduce the number of officer-involved shootings of people with mental illness.  On May 8, 2015, the California Senate Select Subcommittee on Mental Health held a hearing on mental health training for law enforcement officers.  In addition, several California lawmakers have introduced bills that would increase the required amount of behavioral health training for peace officers in California. 

The May 8, 2015 Senate Select Subcommittee on Mental Health hearing included testimony from community members, program leaders, disability rights advocates, and law enforcement agencies.  The speakers variously emphasized the need for increased police training to protect the safety of persons undergoing a mental health crisis and the safety of peace officers.  Subtopics covered views of law enforcement from the perspective of someone with a serious mental illness, a description of a community safety partnership program that may have transferable training components, a report on an investigation about interactions between people with mental disorders and the police, and reports from several law enforcement agencies in various stages of addressing this need. An archive video of the hearing is available on the California Senate media archive webpage.

Two bills currently working their way through the California legislature (SB 11 ¹ and SB 29 ²) would require additional behavioral health training related to mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities, and substance use disorders for specified categories of law enforcement officers.  These include requirements for classroom training, instructor-led active learning, and field training; continuing education; and training for field training officers who are instructors.

PWDF Profile

Who We Are

People With Disabilities Foundation is an operating 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, which focuses on the rights of the mentally and developmentally disabled.

Services

Advocacy: PWDF advocates for Social Security claimant’s disability benefits in eight Bay Area counties. We also provide services in disability rights, on issues regarding returning to work, and in ADA consultations, including areas of employment, health care, and education, among others. There is representation before all levels of federal court and Administrative Law Judges. No one is declined due to their inability to pay, and we offer a sliding scale for attorney’s fees.

Education/Public Awareness: To help eliminate the stigma against people with mental disabilities in society, PWDF’s educational program organizes workshops and public seminars, provides guest speakers with backgrounds in mental health, and produces educational materials such as videos.

Continuing Education Provider: State Bar of California MCLE, California Board of Behavioral Sciences Continuing Education, and Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.