Developing a Community-Wide Approach to Responding to People with Mental Illnesses

Hosted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, with funding support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance

Police-mental health collaboration programs have been helping officers safely and effectively respond to calls for service involving people with mental illnesses for decades, but many programs are still struggling to expand beyond a siloed policing response. This livestream informs law enforcement and behavioral health agencies in jurisdictions across the country of the initiatives in New York City to train officers and enhance interagency responses to people with mental illnesses.

The livestream provides an overview of effective ways to develop specialized law enforcement-based programs, and features presentations on the benefits of expanding and strengthening police-mental health collaborative efforts to include key community partners. Practical guidance—including examples for building effective and sustainable collaborative partnerships—will be highlighted, and presenters will discuss different challenges they have faced and the lessons they learned while overcoming those challenges.

Moderator:

• Richard Cho, Director of Behavioral Health, CSG Justice Center

Presenters:

• Deputy Chief Theresa Tobin, Collaborative Policing, New York Police Department
• John Volpe, Special Advisor on Criminal Justice, Mental Health Division of the Executive Deputy Commissioner’s Office, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, Director of Behavioral Health Research and Programming, New York City Mayor’s Office