Note
Authors affiliated with: Centre for Inland Health, Charles Sturt University; Australian Graduate School of Policing, Charles Sturt University.
Summary
"In January 2008, the NSW Police Force (NSWPF) commenced a pilot program to provide enhanced mental health training to a number of frontline officers (principally constables, senior constables and sergeants) in three Local Area Commands (LACs). Training was developed and delivered by a central Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) command (referred to hereafter as the MHIT) during 2008, and provided officers with guidance and enhanced skills for dealing with individuals displaying mental health-related symptoms; particularly those in crises. In doing so, the MHIT training program aimed to improve police capacity to respond efficiently and safely to such incidents. This document is the fourth and final report from CSU‘s two-year evaluation. It concentrates on the impact of the training on officer behaviour, and the impact of the MHIT more broadly on NSWPF‘s interactions with mental health consumers. Whilst both qualitative and quantitative data is used throughout, at the request of NSWPF, the focus of this report is on the latter. The aim is to assess the extent to which the MHIT has achieved its four nominated aims: 1. Reduce the risk of injury to police and mental health consumers during mental health crisis events; 2. Improve awareness by frontline police of risks involved in dealing with mental health consumers and strategies to reduce injuries to police and consumers; 3. Improve collaboration with other government and non-government agencies in the response to and management of mental health crisis events; and 4. Reduce the time taken by police in the handover of mental health consumers into the health care system."--Pages 10-11.
Contents
1. Background and methodology -- 1.1. Research design -- 1.2. The pilot sites -- 2. The MHIT model -- 2.1. The MHIT training -- 2.2. Risk of implementation failure and scope creep -- 2.3. Governance mechanisms -- 2.4. The memorandum of understanding -- 2.5. Key findings from chapter 2 -- 3. Reducing risk and injury in police interactions with mental health consumers -- 3.1. The use of de-escalation techniques -- 3.2. The use of coercive force -- 3.3. Injuries -- 3.4. Perceptions of injuries and use of force -- 3.5. Information sharing -- 3.6. Key findings from chapter 3 -- 4. Improving awareness of risks and mitigation strategies -- 4.1. Improving understanding of mental health -- 4.2. Improving confidence -- 4.3. Tasers -- 4.4. Key findings from chapter 4 -- 5. Improving interagency collaboration -- 5.1. Local protocol committees (LPCS) -- 5.2. The impact of training on interagency co-operation -- 5.3. Transportation by police -- 5.4. Non-government organisations (NGOS) -- 5.5. Key findings from chapter 5 -- 6. Reducing police involvement in mental health events -- 6.1. Reducing the number of mental health-related events attended by police -- 6.2. Reducing the ammount of time at mental health-related events -- 6.3. Total resource expenditure -- 6.4. Key findings from chapter 6 -- 7. Lessons learnt and applications for the future -- 7.1. Adapting the MHIT for rural and remote contexts -- 7.2. Measuring success -- 7.3. Cost effectiveness -- 7.4. Concluding thoughts and recommendations -- Appendix 1. Key findings from the 1st report -- Appendix 2. Key findings from the annual report -- Appendix 3. Key findings from the 18 month report.