In January of 2021, NPI published the results of a national study that examined the kinds of approaches that small law enforcement agencies are adopting to respond in appropriate ways to persons with behavioral health needs, particularly persons with mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

The study was designed to answer three questions:

• What types of crisis response models are being employed by smaller law enforcement agencies and which are most common?
• How many smaller agencies are participating in regional crisis response models? What do these regional responses consist of? What are the benefits and drawbacks to a regional model?
• What kinds of data systems do smaller agencies have for tracking locations, individuals, and outcomes of behavioral health incidents? What shortcomings would need to be addressed in order to conduct a rigorous evaluation in these small communities?

Law enforcement leaders and other stakeholders are invited to attend a webinar on November 30, 2021, from 1:00-2:15 PM ET, in which researchers, academics, and practitioners will discuss the findings of the study and the realities in the field.

The webinar will also include interviews with administrators of small and rural police departments featured in case studies. They will discuss specific strategies that their agencies have used to improve their ability to respond to persons in crisis.

To register for the webinar, please visit: https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/webinar/crisis-intervention-models-in-small-and-rural-jurisdictions/.

To learn more about the study, please visit: https://www.policinginstitute.org/projects/small-agency-response-to-incidents-involving-persons-with-mental-illness-or-substance-abuse-issues/.

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Featured image by Neil Moralee