Albany -- If they see a gap, or a need, many law enforcement entities partner with organizations like NAMI.
After a man experiencing a mental health crisis was killed by State Police in a Saratoga church parking lot, CBS6 is diving deeper into what current trainings and protocols look like for law enforcement.
NAMI's Crisis Intervention Team programs train officers how to appropriately communicate with people in crisis. Sharon Horton, Executive Director of NAMI New York State, walked CBS6 through some of the philosophies they use when working with officers in their 40-hour program.
"When you're approaching a situation, safety first, keep your distance, to ensure that the area is safe for not only you, but the person in distress, and to use a tone which is calm and that you're using an approach that is meeting the person where they are, seeing them for where they are, not necessarily the behavior that they're exhibiting, but bringing them down to a place of calm. Maybe connecting with them about something. Maybe they're wearing a Yankees hat, and you connect with them about that particular piece, really bringing the situation into a calm, centered environment, rather than coming in with an alternative approach, which may be like rushing in, with big loud noises and big loud stances, or intimidating stances that with a regular person is going to intimidate you, right? So, in Crisis Intervention Team training, really, it is about approaching the situation first in the most calm and compassionate way," Horton says.
While law enforcement agencies implement more mental health crisis training for its officers, there are also initiatives to give mental health professionals a bigger role when mental health crisis calls come in.
At the State level, a Daniel's Law task force was formed, and currently meeting, to discuss the State's next steps in implementing mental health within its law enforcement's response. Recommendations are expected in the next few months.
Meanwhile, in July 2022, the 988 helpline was created for individuals experiencing mental health challenges, or for friends and family of individuals struggling with their mental health.
In these situations, NAMI recommends calling 988, instead of 911.
"We really encourage people to call 988, which is the alternative to 911," Matthew Shapiro, NAMI Senior Director of Public Affairs, says. "When you call 911, you're getting a dispatch center whose job is to get someone to respond to the situation, whether it be police or mental health team. But when you call 988, you get connected to a mental health professional right away, and hopefully one that's in your community who can give you, not only local resources, but deescalate that situation over the phone. They're taught in deescalation, in how to calm someone so hopefully no one needs to respond to that situation. So we really want people to know if you are in a mental health crisis situation called 988, first they could help you."
If you, or someone you know, needs emotional support, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Click here for more resources.