mental illness

Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Complete One Mind Campaign Pledge to Better Serve those Suffering from Mental Illness

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Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department
Todd Fitzgerald, Interim Chief of Police
10 Central Street
Manchester by the Sea, MA 01944

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Complete One Mind Campaign Pledge to Better Serve those Suffering from Mental Illness

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — Interim Chief Todd Fitzgerald is pleased to announce that the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department has completed its pledge through the One Mind Campaign to improve its response to those suffering from mental illness.

In October 2017, the Manchester Police Department pledged to join the One Mind Campaign, an initiative that was started by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in an effort to improve the interactions between law enforcement agencies and those with mental illnesses. Departments that pledge to join the campaign are challenged to implement practices within their agency to improve mental health programming, training and procedure within a one to three year time period.

The IACP also provides resources to departments that pledge to join the One Mind Campaign, including a toolkit produced by the Bureau of Justice Assistance with resources for law enforcement agencies looking to partner with mental health providers, a model policy for law enforcement when responding to persons suffering from mental illness, and resources for planning mental health first aid and crisis intervention team program trainings.

“By pledging to this campaign it provided our officers the necessary tools and the ability to take a more proactive approach to helping residents affected by mental illness,” Chief Fitzgerald said.

The Manchester Police Department has implemented several initiatives to improve its mental health relations, including the establishment of a sustainable relationship with Lahey Behavioral Health, the creation and implementation of a model policy to address officers’ interactions with those affected by mental illness and mental health awareness and crisis intervention training for all full-time staff.

Manchester Police Sgt. Stephen Louf and Essex Police Sgt. Paul Francis have also organized and spearheaded the creation of an Overdose Outreach Follow-Up Team, comprised of members from both departments as well as Lahey Behavioral Health professionals and representatives from One Stop, a free prevention and screening service based out of Gloucester. The Overdose Outreach Follow-Up Team will meet with residents who have experienced a recent overdose and offer a variety of treatment options for substance abuse recovery.

“We need to take a proactive approach when dealing with mental illness,” Chief Fitzgerald said. “Even though our yearly numbers are small, if we can make a difference in one person’s life, then I feel that this team has done its job.”

The Manchester Police Department received a certificate of completion for fulfilling the goals of its One Mind Pledge from the IACP in May.

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Wenham Police Join “One Mind Campaign” to Ensure Positive Interactions with those Affected by Mental Illness

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Wenham Police Patch

Wenham Police Department
Thomas Perkins, Chief of Police
1 Friend Court
PO Box 536
Wenham, MA 01984

For Immediate Release

Monday Oct. 2, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Wenham Joins “One Mind Campaign” to Improve Police Officer Interactions with those Affected by Mental Illness

WENHAM — Chief Thomas Perkins is pleased to announce that he, on behalf of the Wenham Police Department, this month pledged to join the One Mind Campaign, an effort to improve law enforcement interactions with those affected by mental illness.

On Wednesday, September 20, 2017, 182 Massachusetts Police Chiefs undertook the
voluntary pledge to join the campaign, which is, sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. (Click here for a video from the IACP.)

The One Mind Campaign seeks to ensure successful interactions between police officers and persons affected by mental illness. To join the campaign, law enforcement agencies must commit to implementing four promising practices over a 12-36 month time frame.

They are:

  • Establish a clearly defined and sustainable partnership with one or more community
    mental health organization(s)
  • Develop and implement a model policy addressing police response to persons affected by mental illness
  • Train and certify 100 percent of your agency’s sworn officers (and selected non-sworn staff, such as dispatchers) in Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety (MHFA).
  • Provide Crisis Intervention Team training to a minimum of 20 percent of your agency’s sworn officers (and selected non-sworn staff, such as dispatchers).

In the coming months, the Wenham Police Department will announce the partnerships, policies, and training undertaken by the department and its officers.

Creation of a Crisis Intervention Team is an especially important milestone for police departments, as it includes more than 40 hours of training on vital skills including verbal deescalation, scenario-based training, and personal interactions during training with mental health professionals and with people who have experienced and recovered from mental health crisis and family members who have likewise been affected by mental illness.

According to the World Health Organization, one in four people will be affected by a mental or neurological disorder at some point in their lives. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly half of Americans suffering from a disorder go untreated.  Such disorders, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the U.S. for both youth and adults aged 18–44

Click here for more information from NAMI. Also, click here for a video about Crisis Intervention Teams.

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Bedford Police Department Awarded State Grant to Develop Mental Health Program

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Bedford, MA Police Department

BEDFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT
Robert Bongiorno
Chief of Police
2 Mudge Way
Bedford, MA 01730

For Immediate Release

Friday, September 26, 2014

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-533-9398
Email: [email protected]

Bedford Police Department Awarded State Grant for New Mental Health Program

BEDFORD — Police Chief Robert Bongiorno announces that Eliot Community Human Services, in partnership with the Bedford Police Department, has been awarded a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health to support a newly-developed mental health program in Bedford.

“Recognizing and dealing with mental illness is a serious concern for law enforcement in modern society,” Chief Bongiorno said. “Working with the Eliot Community Human Services, the Bedford Police Department will have the personnel and resources that it needs to provide effective police services to a vulnerable portion of the population, and we are very proud to develop this program for our community.”

Eliot has been working closely with the Bedford Police Department for the past several months to develop and implement a police-mental health emergency services partnership. The goal of the program is to divert individuals with mental illness, substance abuse, or developmental disabilities from the criminal justice system to appropriate treatment options. The program model was collaboratively developed by members of the Bedford Police Department, Eliot Community Human Services, Bedford Youth and Family, Bedford Council on Aging, and other stakeholders in the community.

This mental health program will station a mental health clinician at the Bedford Police Department. The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health will cover all costs associated with this program including the clinician’s salary.

The clinician will accompany police officers on calls for service and will provide an immediate evaluation on scene. In the case of non-violent or misdemeanor offenses, the goal of the program is to provide mental health and substance abuse services as alternatives to arrest. In addition to immediate intervention, the clinician will provide follow-up contact with individuals in an effort to focus on prevention and reduce future repeat calls. Successful engagement in treatment is the key to breaking the cycle of revolving-door police contact for citizens with mental health problems in Bedford.

This type of program has been sought and encouraged by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

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