Alexandria police recently graduated 17 officers from its crisis intervention training, as the department says it continues to improve its responses to service calls to residents with mental health problems. The 40-hour class teaches officers about suicide prevention, substance abuse issues and verbal de-escalation techniques. The integrated class includes role-playing real scenarios and a visit to a mental health institution.
“We hear resoundingly from the police officers that have been trained that, first of all, it’s the best training they’ve taken, and that it increases their confidence,” said Liz Wixson, director of Clinical and Emergency Services at Alexandria’s Department of Community and Human Services.
The most recent class was split between attendees from the sheriff’s office and police department.
The program began when Alexandria police partnered with the Department of Mental Health in Alexandria during the summer of 2009. The class has trained about 80 responders, half of which are police officers.
Locally, the local need is clear: Last week a mentally ill man who was seemingly on track in treatment was charged with two fatal shootings in Olney.
Nationally, the style of crisis intervention training began in 1988 after Memphis police shot a mentally ill person.
Wixson said she has seen a definite improvement since the program began.
“It’s not just arrest or not arrest — now they have knowledge of many more possibilities for people that often include treatment or taking them to a hospital,” she said.
She said she has heard praise from those who come into contact with police.
“They are not always associating police officers with something bad or scary, but rather something therapeutic,” she said.
