To improve safety, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) funded the development of a training video titled, Community Policing: Effective Response to Youth with Mental Illness. The video serves as an effective resource to prepare police officers and first responders for situations dealing with children and teens with mental illnesses.
In David Raths’ article, Stacie Golden, a training specialist for the IDHW points out that in cases involving children and teens with mental illness, “you have to be gentler, deescalate the situation, and work with the parents whenever possible. The video focuses on patience and establishing trust.”
The 30-minute training tool highlights interpersonal skills and consists of 4 segments. Each segment is 7 minutes long and depicts police officers in realistic settings. One scenario focuses on a suicidal boy and another deals with a teenage girl with bipolar disorder. The trainer and the viewers have the option to review each case and discuss how the situation was handled.
This breakthrough effort is helping raise public awareness about mental illnesses. Here, at Pasadena Villa, we are aware of our patients’ needs and we strive to provide the best care. Pasadena Villa’s Smoky Mountain Lodge is an adult intensive psychiatric residential treatment center for clients with serious mental illnesses. We also provide other individualized therapy programs, step-down residential programs, and less intensive mental health services, such as Community Residential Homes, Supportive Housing, Day Treatment Programs and Life Skills training. Pasadena Villa’s Outpatient Center in Raleigh, North Carolina offers partial hospitalization (PHP) and an intensive outpatient program (PHP). If you or someone you know may need mental health services, please complete our contact form or call us at 407-215-2519 for more information.
Source:
Behavioral.net
