On February 18 to the 21st I was invited by the Los Angeles Police Department to participate in their Mental Health Intervention Training (MHIT) as a representative of Unarmed Mobile Crisis Response (UMCR). Given the relevance to some of our dispatch calls, it made sense for us to participate in one of LAPD‘s mental health related programs. The cohort was about 40 officers encompassing several different precincts ranging from detention, motor, patrol, and personnel. Several of the officers have been with the department for over 20 years, so there was a very good mixture of experience in the room. In addition to myself, several volunteers from National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) were present as participants and presenters.
There were six trainers from the LAPD in addition to trainers from Alzheimer’s of Los Angeles, LA County Department of Mental Health, and a masterful presentation on Autism Spectrum Disorder by brilliant and charismatic speaker and author Thomas Iland. Each of the amazing presenters covered their areas of expertise very well and led the trainees in innovative and original exercises that allowed the trainees to see the world through the eyes of people living with Alzheimer’s and Autism. DMH also covered critical areas such as mood and psychotic disorders as well as psychopharmacology. I learned more about the LAPD’s Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU) and Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team (SMART) and how they can assist officers on patrol with unique situations involving subjects with possible mental illness.
The LAPD trainers covered areas such as de-escalating subjects and when to justify requesting a 5150. The trainers were very honest about depicting incidents that could be considered a gray area and did a great job of justifying an approach from different lenses. The scenarios did illustrate how trained officers must respond quickly and at a moment’s notice to a situation that could turn out to be more complex than initially thought. As the only licensed clinician in the training, I felt extremely welcomed by the LAPD training staff as well as the other trainees. They were extremely hospitable and asked for my opinion on several mental health matters, and I felt like they respected my role as an emergency mental health responder. Many of the officers in attendance expressed happiness and relief that UMCR exists and how it can complement their roles in the community.
I also got to participate in some unique LAPD training programs that gave me give a better understanding of what our colleagues in law-enforcement must be prepared to do during each watch. This includes their Force Option Simulator (FOS) which uses a video projector to simulate an escalating crisis with a potentially dangerous suspect that forces the trainee to use their de-escalation tools and use of force if necessary. Another remarkably immersive program was their virtual reality simulator from V-Armed. As somebody who has never used augmented reality or virtual reality tools before this was a huge step forward in technology. I felt like I was there at the W Hotel for one simulation and at the beach for another. This experience was fully interactive and included possible suicide attempt scenarios, as well as armed subject scenarios. I want to thank the VR trainer that held my hand like I was a small child so that I had the courage to walk off the virtual ledge at the W Hotel scenario to exit the program.
This was a training that I would wholeheartedly encourage other UMCR responders to attend if given the opportunity. I think it presented a great opportunity for mental health workers to change the way they think about law-enforcement, as well as the way law-enforcement looks at mental health responders. Additionally, I learned just how much of a mental health toll law-enforcement takes on its officers. The LAPD can get as many as one million detainments annually and only one percent result in use of force. They are sometimes tasked with linking subjects to services, and while they have adequate resources, they don’t always have the detailed and neighborhood specific services that UMCR teams have. I was able to share several resources with those in attendance and I hope this represents future collaborations between the LAPD and UMCR that can strongly support and serve the community.
Because if they can change, and I can change, everybody can change.
Check out some more photos below!
