Emotionally Disturbed Person Calls: Criminal Justice Action Research

Training to Enhance Effective Handling of Emotionally Disturbed Person Calls

Criminal Justice Action Research Project

by
Eileen A. Carr

An Action Research Project Presented to the Criminal Justice Department in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration

Keuka College
(2012)

Abstract
Training to Enhance Effective Handling of Emotionally Disturbed Person Calls. Eileen Carr, 2012: Action Research Project, Keuka College, Master of Science Degree Program in Criminal Justice Administration.

The major purpose of the research project was to establish that training programs enhance the ability to address
In February, 2011, when this writer was beginning to formulate a topic for a thesis, there was a man in the City of Syracuse who was shot by police, but not fatally. Then, again in May of 2011 another man was shot by police, this time fatally (Dowty, 2011). It seemed evident that something had changed in the Syracuse area community, or something needed to change. This writer’s secondary research found programs and policies previously formulated in other areas of the United States that provide necessary knowledge and skill base for law enforcement to effectively assist a vulnerable population who need help to live successfully in the community; but are a potential danger to themselves and the community when services are not provided. One entity that provides extensive support for people with mental illness is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
In NAMI’s “Grading the States” with regard to service provision, the survey from New York State came back with a “B” grade. The NAMI survey highlighted three urgently needed items for New York State which were listed in the end of the survey as: “1) acute care and crisis beds, 2) housing, and 3) Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs” (NAMI, 2009). Therefore, NAMI cites the type of training this project researches as being an urgent need across New York State. The importance can be seen across the country and internationally
The literature supports the implementation of CIT for crisis care as opposed to criminalizing and possibly killing mentally ill people. The literature supports that escalation in the number of people in the community who suffer from mental illness and disabilities is a reality. Secondary research also supports police knowledge is needed to assist these vulnerable populations. This chapter includes: (a) Introduction, (b) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), (c) 911 Information, (d) Medication Effects, (e) Disabilities, (f) Domestic Violence, (g) Veterans Issues, (h) Legal Liability, (i) Treatment, (j) Safety, (k) Use of Force, (l) Training, (m) Video Conference, (n) Classroom, (o) In Service. (p) Adult Education, (q) Mentoring, (r) Virtual Environment, (s) Cost Effectiveness, (t) Other Programs, (u) Self Training, (v) Volunteering, (w) Synthesis of Theories, Concepts, and Practices, and (x) Literature Review