Law enforcement learning how to identify mental illness
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Because authorities never know when a situation they're responding to might involve someone with a mental disorder, police officers and sheriff's deputies who are able assess and assist such individuals at the scene are invaluable.

Ventura County's effort to prepare its personnel for such instances is led by two experienced clinical psychologists dedicated to training peace officers how to recognize and deal with people who have mental illnesses.

"The idea is to reduce the need for use of force," said Joyce Wilde, one of the psychologists.

Wilde, a Camarillo resident, and her assistant, Jennifer Frank of Simi Valley, each have a master's in clinical psychology. Together they administer the Law Enforcement Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program in Ventura County.

The purpose of the program is to increase the safety of the officers and help the individuals who have the disorders and their families, said Wilde.

Since the program began in 2001, authorities have been in contact with about 8,000 emotionally disturbed individuals, 10 percent of whom have had multiple encounters with police, Wilde said.

The program's objective is to provide 40 hours of mental health training and ongoing update courses to at least 20 percent of the officers and dispatchers in the county.

"People don't have to be crazy to suffer from mental problems," Wilde said.

While mental illness is a diagnosed condition with a prior history that can be traced, she said, everybody at some point is affected by a traumatic event that could trigger a temporary psychological imbalance.

A person may experience short-term emotional difficulties resulting from divorce, an argument or even excessive drinking.

Anyone who is mentally compromised can benefit from the deputies' extra training, said Wilde, especially because such a person is often at his lowest point when he comes into contact with officers.

The Memphis Police Department pioneered the Crisis Intervention Team concept in 1988 after a police shooting of a mentally ill 27-year-old man.

CIT forges partnerships among law enforcement, individuals with mental disorders and family members. Trained officers are better equipped to respond to a crisis and can help resolve each situation with concern for the citizen's wellbeing, according to the Memphis Police Department.

The Ventura County program was established with a grant and it is now supported by a joint agreement between several cities and the county sheriff's department. The cities of Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo and Simi Valley all contribute to the Crisis Intervention Team program, Wilde said.

"The training helped me to better understand how to talk to and deal with individuals who have mental illness or problems. I've used what I've learned on many different occasions," said Senior Deputy Robert Berger of the Moorpark police station.

Most people who take medications are willing to talk about their illness, he said, as long as deputies are able to address the situation with knowledge and understanding.

In a Nutshell

The Law Enforcement Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program aims to train officers to recognize a suspect who is suffering from a mental condition that may render him or her unable to follow police commands. The hope is to avoid any unnecessary use of force.