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Mental health is on the rise and it has impacts not only with police interactions, but anyone involved or near the surroundings. In the Blog, Depressed and Educated, this social issue gets brought up and explained. Depression can have effects on not just our minds but our physical bodies as well. It has been linked among college students who experience stress at higher levels, and depression can influence more stress and anxiety for them. Psychological, biological and societal factors have influences for depression to occur. 

Depression can lead to a loss of motivation or interests in hobbies you once enjoyed partaking in, as well as giving you moods of sadness or self defeating behavior. There are multiple symptoms for depression and in the year 2017, 7% of Americans (17.3 million people), experienced a major depressive episode. Depressed and Educated, discusses the history, environment, and solutions to this social issue. They have discovered two organizations that work closely to solve or help alleviate the problem. Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF) focuses on finding new technology for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of depression and other emotional disorders. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) focuses on advocacy, education and public awareness. Through these organizations and their techniques to use new technology and advocacy, individuals with mental health can receive more help with their illness. 

In spreading awareness, this blog shared a video describing the first step in normalizing mental health, destigmatization. This video focuses on these stigmas specifically on college campuses. This important mission is vital in advocating for health and safety of college students. The blog, Depressed and Educated, conveys this message through this video and their own writing as well. You can find this video here:

https://depressedpdxstudents.tumblr.com/post/612165421822525440/in-2012-gtcc-nami-created-a-video-in-addressing

#mentalhealthawareness

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The Henderson Police Department posted this Autism Awareness information on Instagram in April of 2018. The Department reminds the public that when responding to calls where mental/neurological challenges are a factor, the responding officers are required to be trained in Crisis Intervention. This is an example of successful change, as the majority of police departments in the USA do not have any C.I.T. certified officers, let alone have this sort of protocol implemented. This C.I.T. movement is a very positive example of change. The Henderson Police Department is setting an example for other departments when it comes to keeping their citizens with autism and/or other mental/neurological challenges safe when interacting with police.

#change

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This Instagram post uploaded by the Lafourche Sheriff’s Office posted in February of 2020 demonstrates the commitment of these officers in completing Crisis Intervention Training. The 40-hour training is rigorous and complex. It is a big commitment on top of the typical workload of a police officer. This commitment to understanding mental illness and crises is a huge step in creating safer communities.  We are thankful that police departments, such as Lafourche, recognize the importance of C.I.T. and its impact on civilian safety.

#commitment

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Journalist Amanda Peached uses twitter to highlight an example of consciousness of self. In this tweet she links her own article, Bend Police Incorporate Yoga, Mindfulness Into Officer Wellness Program, published by OPB on January 29th of 2018. This article discusses the ways in which the Bend Police Department have incorporated values of consciousness of self into their force. In the section titled, “Healthy Cops are Better For Communities,” Peacher explains how mindfulness practices, in addition to Crisis Intervention Training have lead to a 30% decrease in use of force over the last three years. Officers with clear-heads are safer for everyone, especially individuals in mental crises.

#consciousness of self

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Summarizing Another Blog:

In America, we have adopted the phrase “sanctuary city,” and if you look at this blog you will discover what the term really means. Sanctuary city doesn’t have an official legal meaning, but to many of us it means that certain places aren’t cooperating with federal immigration laws. In sanctuary cities, they have local governing laws that limit local law enforcement and cooperation with federal agencies like ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). What this means is that they can limit ICE requests, restrict information sharing, and prevent local officers from being deputized as immigration officers. They can prevent all of that but can’t prevent ICE from detaining or deporting immigrants. 

Even though Portland is considered a sanctuary, officials still allow ICE to operate and even will collaborate on police raids. A few groups have formed to fight against ICE and have become dedicated to changing policies and protecting the lives of undocumented immigrants. Portland are Latino Milenios (Millenials) and Voz Hispana Cambio Comuntario (Hispanic Voice for Community Change) are examples of collective community power that fights against these immigration laws. They hold events to empower the Latino community and help educate them on getting citizenship in the United States. 

#sanctuarycity

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This video was published by N.A.M.I. & describes C.I.T. programs, which train officers to handle complex situations that the average officer is incapable of de-escalating. C.I.T. is an important in responding to the growing amount of mental illness & homelessness in our country.

#crisis intervention training #national alliance on mental illness

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Academic Articles Revolved Around Police Brutality Upon The Mentally Ill

Reducing Risk and Improving Outcomes of Police Interactions with People with Mental Illness 

by Terry Coleman and Dorothy Colton  In Canada, retired Chief of Police Terry Coleman and Psychologist Dorothy Cotton discuss the outcomes of Police interactions with people with mental illness. Together they have partnered and created PMHL (Police/Mental Health Liaison) Solutions, and in their article, Reducing Risk and Improving Outcomes of Police Interactions with People with Mental Illness, they state that 7-30% of calls to the police are from people who are suffering from mental illness. Their position seems pretty clear, especially coming from a former Chief of Police, as they state that police leaders must ensure that their team has the knowledge to better understand the individuals they interact with, as well as their environment. The article is focused on the insurance that we need to identify the correct techniques in order to better prepare the police since on occasions situations turn violent for either the police, the mental health victims, or both. Police are trained to have a closed mind when dealing with any situation, but with the systems theory approach described in the article, Terry and Dorothy believe that officers can be more open to their environment and achieve an appropriate relationship with it that will prevent harmful situations and help build a better and more trusting community.

Beyond the Shooting: Eleanor Gray Bumpurs, Identity Erasure, and Family Activism against Police Violence 

by LaShawn Harris 

In the 1980s, an elderly Bronx resident was killed by the New York Police Department (NYPD). According to Eleanor Gray Bumpurs’s family and friends, it seemed like she was experiencing delusions and a psychotic episode. She was holding a knife to protect herself, not to inflict harm on others. However, the NYPD got the message that this suspect was threatening people and had a history of attacking strangers. In the end, Eleanor was shot twice, one proving fatal. This article is an autobiography of Eleanor Gray Bumpurs, it describes her social activism, and political leadership, her family life, and her death. Her daughter has become a social and political activist as well, supporting the end to racial and police brutality, police violence, and spreading awareness of mental health issues. This article is to provide another perspective of all the implications a mental health crisis can have upon a person and their family. Additionally, it also shows how the lack of information and framing of mental illness can affect the outcome of an intense situation. 

#police brutality #police violence #mental health

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Interview with retired Hillsboro Chief, Ron Louie

Ron Louie is a retired police chief of Hillsboro, Oregon. He is currently a professor at Portland State University in the Criminology and Criminal Justice program. Having experience as an officer, chief, de-escaltor, and published author in the topic of crisis intervention, Ron Louie was excited to share his insight on the topic of police response to mental illness.

Interview 

February 18th, 2020  4:30pm

Present: Aydia Johnson, Kenja Bettis, Madeline Gibson, Ron Louie, Yami Argueta Arias

1. Before being part of the police force, did you have any preconceptions? Were there any stigmas, especially surrounding police violence or corruption at that time?

“I had a perception about the police before, when I was a grad student actually, that the police mistreated emotional distraught people. Every human being is emotionally distraught. For some, it is once in a while and others deal with it a lot more but, we all have it. We all experience it. I had preconceived that the police were prejudicial. I think they [the “emotionally distraught”] are mistreated and I have actual proof that because when I was a graduate student of Texas Cal State, I did a graduate study with a team and we went to a community rehabilitation center, Crystal Springs. I was there off and on for about five months. We did a study on emotional distraught people, and looked at the mentally ill along with the police. So yes, the answer is yes I had a preconceived and it was negative.” 

2. During your time, what did you notice about how police respond to mental crises?  

“They [the police] were absolutely were not trained. They were poorly trained or not trained at all. They only received one kind of training in the academy. In the training program, we were taught how to respond to somebody acting out. The police are only trying to control that person. The officers have it in their brain, from their training, that they need to control - which means physical restraint, which is wrong. They don't have a conception of how to control something that seems uncontrollable without physical force. And I wrote a book about it, titled tactical communication in crisis incidents, teaching people how to communicate in a crisis.”

3. In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge for police when responding to individuals in mental crisis?

“There isn’t a “right” police officer to go to that kind of call. What that means is we are still selecting people to become police officers that don't have the skills, either not trained or don’t have an idea of how to deal with that kind of person [mentally ill/emotionally distraught]. The biggest problem is having the wrong person sent to a call. Now, when I say “wrong” what I'm actually saying is that person probably shouldn't be a police officer. There are many officers that I've known in my career, in many departments, that shouldn't be police officers, because they're not equipped, they don't have the skills, the verbal skills, the training, the compassion or, the empathy.” 

4. Do you think individuals with mental illness pose a threat to police officers?

“They can. The biggest threat to police is that most of those calls have the classification called SPC, (Suicide By Cop.) Around 20% or more of our shootings in America are SPC. So you have somebody for one reason or another, that wants to die, and for one reason or another doesn't want to do it himself or herself. I was actually trained on this in the FBI. Most of them will not harm anyone, but when they have a gun in their hand and, flaunt it and, point it out, it’s dangerous. So the response is to kill them. I've had that happen where the gun actually wasn't loaded or was plastic. It's happened to me a couple times where they will actually provoke the shooting. Usually in shooting, sometimes that person dies, by actually shooting at the cops, which is very dangerous, and then the cops respond so to kill them. Or sometimes that person will become physically violent. If so, the police have to use physical force or pain compliance to control that person. Those things are taught during training. But pain compliance doesn't always work with someone experiencing emotional trauma. So pain doesn't work on them because sometimes what they are experiencing is so severe that they don’t feel pain. Usually, that type of person is called excited delirium, and I've seen many of these cases.”

5. Do you think the safety of individuals with mental illness is at higher risk than “others” when interacting with police?

“Yes, it is higher because of their different types of behavior that are interpreted or are truly threatening to the police. You're all sitting here composed and you're not showing any kind of behavior. But if one of you stood up and took a threatening stance, and started breathing heavily, started pacing, gritting your teeth, and your nostrils are flaring; these are indications of possible physical attack. This is a type of person who is angry and upset. So if anyone does this in front of an officer, the officer will interpret this as a physical threat, and may attack this person because they know they're going to be attacked. Either way, they may not be. But this person has something huge inside of them and it's tearing them apart. The officers will interpret this as a prelude to attacking them. So that's why the police are more likely to use physical force against people like that because some of them will use physical force against the police.”

6. How would you personally respond to a situation where mental illness is a factor?

“Well the good news is that I've done it many, many times as a hostage negotiator. This is kind of an easy question because this was my job. The first thing we did is, we lowered the tone of our voices. We reduced noise, we backed off and, gave the person plenty of space.My response would be to secure the scene, or to back off, lower the noise to slow it down to where I'm talking at a lower rate of words per minute. Usually I'm talking over 200 words a minute or more, because I'm a native San Francisco and we talk like this. But when I'm a hostage negotiator, I talk around 160 words per minute. Slow it down. That is one of the ways that you are able to possibly communicate with someone, experiencing emotional trauma, because it’s the little things that matter. What you say, believe it or not is only eight or 10% effective. The tone of your voice is a whole 38% effective, and your body language is 55% effective. So if you're good at those three things, tone of voice and body language in particular, you will deescalate the situation but most cops don't know that.”

7. In your opinion, to what extent does the Crisis Intervention Training program affect the way an officer responds to someone in mental crisis? Does the C.I.T. program do an adequate job in keeping citizens safe?

“CIT programs a good start, an excellent start, and should be fundamentally the basis of all training. Everybody should be trained right on how to respond to the mentally ill. It's probably the most dangerous part of the job, and if an officer can’t handle it then, maybe they shouldn't be in the job. If you're not good at crisis intervention that's deal breaker.  90% of what we do, of course, has the need of verbal skills, if you don’t have that skill then how you doing on the job? When I came into Hillsboro, I got rid of half the department, because they weren't suited for the job, didn't have the skills, they were selected for the wrong reasons. So the bottom line is, yes CIT is a minimally required skilled, and training is required for the job. And it's fundamental. So you got to hire people that can do that. Don't hire people that can or can’t shoot a gun. Don't worry about that. I'll train you how to shoot a gun, really, really, well. But you better have some innate skills to be able to communicate properly. And if you struggle with that or have a short fuse whatever, then you're in the wrong job.”

8. What advice would you give the police department in handling cases with the mentally ill? 

“It all revolves around training. Number one police departments have to increase training into tactile communication crisis intervention because it helps with how to communicate with people. Open up your toolbox and know what to say and what to do. Sometimes not saying anything is sitting on the floor and not looking down on the mentally ill. So that's kind of the fundamental.  Use that as a foundation and then they have to move up from there. That's it.”

9. What advice do you have for the audience reading this interview about the police system policies surrounding mental illness?

“Many, many agencies, police agencies, do not understand the mentally ill, and they're not trained to understand the mentally ill. They're trained to control, and they don't understand that sometimes control is not saying anything but backing up and sitting down, trying to talk to them. They don't understand it. They're basically trained to control which to them means to go up, grab people, flip them down, tase and, handcuff them. They're not trained to give them space. So the bottom line is we still are way off. The other thing is many cops don't cope well with these types of problems because they create stress in their own body. And that stress leads to obesity and diabetes, and early heart disease. So they don't physically know what to do. And they don't physically know how to cope. So not only would I give everybody CIT training, I would give them all mindfulness based training. Because if you understand mindfulness based training and mindfulness base for your own body, then you will have a little bit easier time and understand the concepts of how to communicate somebody who's under stress, severe trauma or wants to call themselves. That's it. Easy.”

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Who Has a Stake in this Issue?

The stakeholders in the issue improper response to mental crises include those at risk of mental illness or houselessness, the Portland Police Department, and community allies. While this issue directly addresses the mentally ill and the police force, safety as civilians is a right to all and violation of that right impacts everyone.

Those experiencing mental health crisis, especially individuals who are also experiencing houselessness, have a huge stake in this problem. It is these individuals who are primarily at risk when interacting with police. It is clear that there is mistrust between these citizens of Portland and the Portland Police Department, suggesting that these stakeholders view this issue as threatening.

The Portland Police Department is another stakeholder in this issue, as the safety of improperly trained officers could potentially be put at risk, and the actions of officers reflect back on the department as a whole. Portland P.D. does in fact have a Crisis Intervention Training program, with 50 officers certified. The department recognizes the issue of their officer’s improper response to metal crisis, and agrees that steps need to be taken to properly train officers in responding to a wide variety of situations, including mental crisis.

The National Institute of Corrections identifies additional stakeholders in Crisis Intervention Teams: A Frontline Response to Mental Illness in Corrections [Lesson Plans and Participant's Manual] as being “...community stakeholders, including corrections agencies, local mental health agencies, family advocacy groups,” (2018). These groups act as allies in promoting policy change and advocating for the growth of C.I.T. programs and mental illness awareness. Properly trained officers and civilian safety is a positive for all.

Work Cited

Crisis Intervention Teams: A Frontline Response to Mental Illness in Corrections [Lesson Plans and Participant's Manual]. (2018, July 13). Retrieved from https://nicic.gov/crisis-intervention-teams-frontline-response-mental-illness-corrections-lesson-plans-and

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Summarizing Another Blog: The Connection Between Mental Health and Homelessness

We are in the midst of a homeless crisis here in Portland Oregon, and many of the mental health crisis that police report to is for homeless victims. Last week the blog, The Connection Between Mental Health and Homelessness, covered an interview with a dedicated individual who is close to the situation. 

It is people like Caryn and her program Join, that help give homeless a place to eat, shower, do some laundry, and provides other resources to help the victims. However, Caryn knows that more needs to be done because it isn’t fixing the root of the problem but just giving aide to it. Berley explains how pre housing costs alone make it difficult for individuals because subsidized or unsubsidized housing requires you pay 1/3 of your income. One of the resources the program Join is used for is to help the homeless with the housing costs and applications.

Mental health is a serious condition that has impacts on not only the individual, but the community as a whole. This interview with Caryn Berley shows the promise Portland has with offering resources to help homeless victims, but also how far we have yet to go. Caryn wants more awareness of the difficulties surrounding homelessness because often their mental state pushes them to rely on drugs. This addiction many of homeless face, ends in a cycle that leads them to breaking the rules of the housing program, which leaves them victim to the streets once more, and possibly in situations dealing with police officers who aren’t well equipped with the knowledge to help them during their mental crisis.

#mentalhealth homelessness housingcrisis

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Freedom by Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar sings Black empowerment. The lyrics speak to systemic racism, specifically police brutality & nod at the B.L.M. Movement. In the visual album, Lemonade, representation is given to the mothers of victims taken by this violent racism. 

#police brutality #black lives matter

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The CIT program is necessary for mental health reform. Law enforcement is now offering this program’s training in order to respond appropriately to mental health crises. 

#spotify CIT CrisisInterventionTraining police mentalhealth

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Spotlight: Graduation Rates - Si Se Puede!

https://graduationrates.tumblr.com/tagged/sisepuedevikings/chrono

Summarizing Another Blog:

Si Se Puede is a student blog highlighting the disparity in graduation rates between Latinx and White students at Portland State University. According to the post, Problem Summary, only 59% of Latinx-identifying students graduate for Portland State University, while White-identifying students sit at 71%. This is attributed to the overall wealth disparity between most Latinx and White communities in the USA, as well as the long history of educational segregation that systematically targeted students of color. While Latinx graduation rates are increasing, it is occuring at a slower rate than other racial identity groups (especially White students). Luckily, this is a problem that is being recognized and responded to by Portland organizations such as Latino Network,  Oregon Community Foundation’s Latino Partnership Program, and Excelencia in Education. This inequality in graduation rates is a reflection of a larger issue in our nation that, if not addressed on a larger scale, will continue to impact Latinx communities, furthering economic disenfranchisement and disparity.

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New Portland Police Chief Jami Resch, addressing mental health crisis and police reform.

Portland police officers are often the first responders to mental health crises. However, with Portland’s new police chief Jami Resch, new ideas are coming. In an interview with Portland’s KGW News (Keep Growing Wiser), Resch states that she would like to work more closely with mental health providers. She also aspires for police officers to be partners and allies to those experiencing houselessness, instead of being the enforcers with these specific cases. Resch speaks on how she desires more resources to adequately address the needs of individuals experiencing mental illness and houselessness, who officers are interacting with regularly. In her interview, Resch explains how she will focus on a new intervention piece. When the police view an individual as being at risk, officers will hand the situation off to a specialized group better suited in crisis intervention and violence prevention. With Jami Resch as chief, Portland can look forward to new ideas and actions, specifically involving the safety of individuals experiencing mental illness and homelessness.

It seems like Portland PD recognizes the problem we seek to be eradicated, but will it be an effective change that eliminates threats for the mental health victims?

Source:

Dooris, P. (2020, January 25). New Portland Police Chief spells out problems facing the bureau and what her leadership will bring. Retrieved from https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/new-portland-police-chief/283-a9bdbced-ae5f-4625-bb7b-e07ab3e2bf70

#policereform mentalhealth

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Portlanders get a close look into how police handle mental health crises in the article, Some Portland Cops Have Mental Health Training; Where do they fit into street-response reform? This piece was written by John Emshwiller and published on Street Root News. As the Portland Police Department is receiving many criticisms of officer’s unnecessary use of excessive force when responding to individuals in mental health crisis, a reform was made. Portland P.D. created the Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team (ECIT), where officers are thoroughly trained in crisis intervention. ECIT certified officers are dispatched when situations involving individuals with mental illness or experiencing crisis occur. According to the article, the ECIT certified officers have de-escalated several situations including talking individuals off of bridges. Also mentioned is a “shout out” the Portland Police Bureau received in a 2016 New York Times article on how “Portland’s approach has served as a model for other law enforcement agencies around the country,” (Emshwiller). Despite the creation of the ECIT program, the Portland Police Department still receives many critiques. City Commissioner, JoAnn Hardesty, believes that those who created the problem should not be in charge of fixing it. It is criticism such as this that continues to push for a safer city for all members of the Portland community.

Source:

Emshwiller, J. (2019, October 15). Some Portland cops have mental health training. Where do they fit into street-response reform? Retrieved from https://news.streetroots.org/2019/10/11/some-portland-cops-have-mental-health-training-where-do-they-fit-street-response-reform

#mentalhealth policereform

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Environment and Context

History

The city of Eagle Point 2018, a federal lawsuit is filed in the U.S District Court. A man who suffers from Schizophrenia is wrongfully killed due to an alleged jaywalking offense. The police officer pursued him for this offense, into a bathroom and shot him. This case is a great example of how the Oregon police fail to respond correctly to those mentally unstable. Officers don’t use reason and de-escalate situations. Due to cases such as the Eagle Point case, the Portland P.D. made an agreement with the U.S Department of Justice. The agreement touched bases on police reforms and the use of force policies. Changes ought to be made in response to people in mental health crisis and community oversight. These reforms isolate changes that need to be made in the use of force policies, trainings and, crisis tactics that the Portland PD enforce. It also keeps the Portland PD in check because the city has to comply to all the reforms for one year until the settlement ends. This is a major milestone because it is progress and improvement to how justice is served for those who are influenced by mental health. What’s next for the Portland PD is to maintain the reforms and continue to fix any policies that are traditional and dangerous. Another major thing is that there has to be an analysis that these reforms are accountable. Otherwise it will result in another set back.

Initiatives

The Oregon chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness is based here in Portland and has a number of initiatives in place to educate our city on the topic of mental illness and connect struggling individuals with resources. NAMI Oregon programs include a public education course on mental health first aid where individuals learn to recognize and respond to crisis situations (NAMI Oregon). One of the many missions of this organization parallels our own goal: to ensure safe interactions between those in mental illness crises and Portland P.D. Our hope is that through initiatives such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, we will create a population and police force that better understands this cause and is better equipped to assist in situations of need. An organization that is working specifically to ensure safety from Portland P.D. is Disarm PSU. Disarm PSU is a social movement made up of Portland State University students aiming to reform the current Campus Public Safety Office (CPSO). In September 2015, PSU Board of Trustees voted to allow CPSO Officers to carry and use firearms. Almost three years later, in June 2018, Jason Washington, a licensed firearm carrier, was trying to break up a fight outside the Cheerful Tortoise. During the hustle, Washington’s gun fell to the ground. However, when Washington went to retrieve it, the CPSO officers appearing on the scene felt threatened and shot him nine times, leaving Washington to die on the scene. PSU students and the family of Jason Washington are now the front runners for gun control and safety on campus. The goal of Disarm PSU is to relieve CPSO officers of carrying firearms because we value student lives and holding organizations accountable for their actions. Additionally, students will continuously fight for gun control on college campuses and at city level until it exists. Disarm PSU is encouraging the community to change the policies behind arming police and CPSO officers. This pertains to our cause, as Disarm PSU is a movement that aids all students, including those who those in mental health crises, by examining the policies behind the issues.

Sources: 

Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://namior.org/programs/

Stoddard, Quinn. “PSU President Addresses Concerns Over The New Safety Plan”. Vanguard, PSU Newspaper. Url source: https://psuvanguard.com/psu-president-addresses-concerns-over-new-safety-plan/