Mental health advocates hope DOJ report on LMPD will help with behavioral health problems
MARK, GOOD EVENING, VICKY. RICK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A FIRE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT…
MARK, GOOD EVENING, VICKY. RICK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A FIRE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COMES OUT. IF YOU HAVE A PHYSICAL INJURY, EMS RESPONSE, BUT IF SOMEONE HAS A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROBLEM. LOUISVILLE IS SENDING POLICE OFFICERS. AND THE DOJ SAYS THOSE OFFICERS DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TRAINING FOR THOSE CIRCUMSTANCE. IS ALL OF SOCIETY IS ON A LEARNING CURVE WITH REGARDS TO PROPER RESPONSE TO PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIOR OR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. AS A FORMER JEFFERSON DISTRICT COURT JUDGE, DAVID HOLTON HAS SEEN MANY PEOPLE CIRCULATE IN AND OUT OF THE SYSTEM. THIS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REPORT FOUND PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THE WAY METRO LOUISVILLE AND LMPD HANDLE PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES. THERE ARE BETTER WAYS. THERE ARE MORE HUMANE WAYS. THERE ARE MORE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE WAYS TO DEAL WITH OUR MENTALLY ILL POPULATION. THE DOJ FOUND SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH HOW OFFICERS RESPONDED TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CALLS. IN SOME CASES, OFFICERS MADE JOKES, TAUNTED THOSE IN CRISIS, OR TREATED THEM WITH DISDAIN. IN OTHER CASES, THEY EXACERBATED PROBLEMS, FOR EXAMPLE, BY SURROUNDING INDIVIDUALS WITH MULTIPLE OFFICERS YELLING COMMANDS. BUT THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES. WE VISITED SEVEN COUNTY SERVICES, WHICH ONE YEAR AGO CREATED CRISIS TRIAGE WORKERS TO TAKE OVER PHONE CALLS FROM 911 OPERATORS. WHEN YOU’RE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEBODY WHO UNDERSTANDS WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH, WHO IS ABLE TO JUST BE THERE WITH YOU AND SIT WITH YOU IN CRISIS AND THE ESCALATE, JUST HAVE TIME TO SIT AND LISTEN AND SO THAT THEY CAN FEEL HEARD. NICOLE WISEMAN SAYS THEY ALSO FORMED A MOBILE CRISIS TEAM AT THE CITY’S REQUEST TO SEND INTO THE FIELD IF THEY NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, WE CAN GET THEM THERE AND EVALUATE, EVALUATED. IF NEED BE. I CAN ALSO CONNECT THEM WITH OTHER RESOURCES LIKE SHELTER. JUST PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THAT THEY WOULD HELP WOULD HELP THEM GET THROUGH THAT MOMENT OF CRISIS. THE DOJ REPORT MAKES SEVERAL RECOMMENDS PLANS FOR THE CITY, INCLUDING EXPANDING THE MOBILE CRISIS TEAM PILOT PROGRAM, ENSURING 911 OPERATORS ACTUALLY DISPATCH THAT TEAM AND ONLY INCLUDE POLICE OFFICERS WHEN NECESSARY AND IMPROVING LAPD’S OWN CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM. THE FASTER WE ADAPT AND OF ADDRESS THESE ISSUES IN THEIR IN THE RIGHT WAY, THE BETTER OFF WE’RE GOING TO BE. NOW THAT MOBILE CRISIS TEAM THAT YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT, IT STARTED WITH A PILOT PROGRAM ONE YEAR AGO IN LIPPI’S FOURTH DIVISION. BY MARCH 21ST. THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE EXPANDED TO ALL EIGHT DIVISIONS, SEVEN COUNTY SAYS THEY’D ALSO LIKE TO HIRE MORE CRISIS TRIAGE WORKERS. BUT LIKE A LOT OF EMPLOYERS, THEY’RE HAVIN
Mental health advocates hope DOJ report on LMPD will help with behavioral health problems
Updated: 7:07 PM EST Mar 10, 2023
Louisville’s mental health advocates hope that a new report from the U.S. Department of Justice will help people with behavioral problems get the help they need.”All of society is on a learning curve with regards to proper response to people with behavior or mental health issues,” said David Holton, a former Jefferson County District Court judge.Holton says he’s seen many people circulate in and out of the system.The DOJ’s report on the Louisville Metro Police Department found that part of the problem is the way LMPD handles people with behavioral health issues.”There are better ways, there are more humane ways, there are more financially responsible ways to deal with our mentally ill population,” Holton said.The DOJ found several problems with how officers responded to behavioral health calls. In some cases, officers made jokes, taunted those in crisis or treated them with disdain.In other cases, they exacerbated problems, for example, by surrounding individuals with multiple officers yelling commands.But there are alternatives to this, like Seven Counties Services, which one year ago created a crisis triage to take over calls from 911 operators.”When you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, to be able to talk to somebody who understands what you’re going through, who is able to be there with you and sit with you in crisis and de-escalate, just have time to sit and listen so that they can feel heard,” said Nicole Wiseman with Seven Counties Services.Wiseman says they also formed a mobile crisis team, at the city’s request, to send into the field.”If they need to go to the hospital, we can get them there and evaluated if need be,” Wiseman said. “We can also connect them with other resources like shelter, just pretty much anything that would help them get through that moment of crisis.”The DOJ report makes several recommendations for the city, including expanding the mobile crisis team pilot program, ensuring 911 operators actually dispatch that team and only include police officers when necessary, and improving LMPD’s own crisis intervention team.”The faster we adapt and address these issues in the right way, the better off we’re going to be,” Holton said.
Louisville’s mental health advocates hope that a new report from the U.S. Department of Justice will help people with behavioral problems get the help they need.
“All of society is on a learning curve with regards to proper response to people with behavior or mental health issues,” said David Holton, a former Jefferson County District Court judge.
Holton says he’s seen many people circulate in and out of the system.
The DOJ’s report on the Louisville Metro Police Department found that part of the problem is the way LMPD handles people with behavioral health issues.
“There are better ways, there are more humane ways, there are more financially responsible ways to deal with our mentally ill population,” Holton said.
The DOJ found several problems with how officers responded to behavioral health calls. In some cases, officers made jokes, taunted those in crisis or treated them with disdain.
In other cases, they exacerbated problems, for example, by surrounding individuals with multiple officers yelling commands.
But there are alternatives to this, like Seven Counties Services, which one year ago created a crisis triage to take over calls from 911 operators.
“When you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, to be able to talk to somebody who understands what you’re going through, who is able to be there with you and sit with you in crisis and de-escalate, just have time to sit and listen so that they can feel heard,” said Nicole Wiseman with Seven Counties Services.
Wiseman says they also formed a mobile crisis team, at the city’s request, to send into the field.
“If they need to go to the hospital, we can get them there and evaluated if need be,” Wiseman said. “We can also connect them with other resources like shelter, just pretty much anything that would help them get through that moment of crisis.”
The DOJ report makes several recommendations for the city, including expanding the mobile crisis team pilot program, ensuring 911 operators actually dispatch that team and only include police officers when necessary, and improving LMPD’s own crisis intervention team.
“The faster we adapt and address these issues in the right way, the better off we’re going to be,” Holton said.
