"Vulnérable" Web Documentary (Details)

Name of province/ territory:

Quebec

City/ Region:

Quebec

Description of Initiative:

In order to assist its training partners in acquiring or expanding knowledge on police intervention with individuals in crisis and/or showing mental instability, the École nationale de police du Québec (Quebec national police school) has created a web documentary titled "Vulnérable: Intervention policière auprès d'une personne en crise" ("Vulnerable: Police Intervention Involving an Individual in Crisis"). This documentary specifically addresses the following partners: police officers, public safety stakeholders, police recruits at the École nationale de police du Québec, college students who are studying police techniques, and future public safety workers (correctional service officers, traffic controllers and special constables at courthouses).

Initiative Key Objectives:

The web documentary is composed of nine sections totaling around five hours of content. Each section deals with a specific type of police intervention, suggests strategies for intervention and useful communication for resolving a crisis situation, and focuses as much on "knowing how to be" as on "knowing how to do". Independent and interactive, each section is composed of a main video, which presents the key principles of how to intervene with an individual in a crisis and/or showing mental instability, and a subsection titled "Pour en savoir +" ("To know more"). In total, more than 60 videos present additional, specific or more focused information on the themes addressed. The police officer, trainer or learner can choose whether or not they want to view the videos based on the level of interest and the objectives of the involved training. Therefore, this tool is always changing with regard to the knowledge required. It can also be adapted to different levels of interest, as well as to different training objectives, and is accessible using a computer, mobile telephone or tablet with an Internet connection.

Section Responsible for Implementation:

Institutional Affairs and Communications Directorate

Key Contact:

Pierre Saint-Antoine
psta@enpq.qc.ca

Groups/ Agencies/ Key Partners Involved:

  • community groups - consultative (information sharing)
  • other police services - cooperative (direct involvement)

Level of Involvement (consultative - information sharing) and/or cooperative - direct involvement):

N/A

Amount of Time Initiative has been in Place:

Since spring 2013.

Reason for Undertaking the Initiative:

This initiative was launched in response to concerns in the policing community regarding intervention with individuals with mental health problems.

Resources Required to Implement this Initiative:

The initiative had an approximate budget of $150,000.

Method of Implementation:

This was a need that was expressed by the community. The idea came from a police service. Leadership on this matter was taken on by the École nationale de police du Québec.

Key Outcomes of the Initiative:

Distribution of the documentary to police services is underway. Certain police training programs have integrated the web documentary. Statistics will be available starting in 2014.

Availability of a Communication Strategy:

Yes

Key Messages used to Publicize the Initiative:

Issues such as the deinstitutionalization of individuals displaying mental health problems, as well as isolation and the ever-increasing stress of life, have increased the number of crisis and human distress situations.

Often called upon to intervene with individuals in crisis situations, police officers sometimes feel powerless. In order to better equip Quebec police and public safety workers to deal with police interventions with individuals showing mental health problems, the École nationale de police du Québec created a web documentary that presents strategies for intervention, and useful, effective and safe forms of communication to resolve crisis situations. This web documentary includes interviews with crisis intervention specialists, information on police interventions with individuals displaying mental health problems, perspectives from people living with these problems, and questions asked by police officers directly to experts (such as psychiatrists, emergency physicians, criminologists or officers who specialize in mental health).

Forms of Evaluation by which the Initiative will be Assessed:

  • quantitative
  • Statistical follow up on the number of individuals trained. Requested feedback from police services to obtain their advice on the webdocumentary.

Evaluation Completed or Community Feedback Received:

No

Summary of the Outcomes:

The comments received from police services and teachers from colleges (CEGEPs) have been excellent. Moreover, parts of the web documentary have been integrated into training curricula in police services and institutions offering police-related training.

Summary of the Performance Measure Data Collected:

- Statistical monitoring of the number of people trained.
- Requests to police services and colleges (CEGEPs) offering training on police techniques to provide feedback on the web documentary.

Economics of Policing Pillars:

Further Details:

N/A

Additional Comments or Suggestions:

Steps are currently being taken to find funding to translate the web documentary into English. The objective is to make it available to other Canadian police services, including First Nations policing services, many of which operate mostly in English environments in Quebec.

To access the web documentary "Vulnérable," go to the home page of the École at: www.enpq.qc.ca, and click on the button labelled "Vulnérable."

A learning activity package and a PowerPoint presentation are available. In addition, an English version of the PowerPoint presentation is available.

Record Entry Date:

2015-03-01

Date modified: