Mental Health Training
for the
Emergency Services Dispatcher
WHY IS THE TRAINING BEING
DEVELOPED?
• New York State / New York City Mental
Health – Criminal Justice Panel Report
(6/08)
• Collaboration between DOS, OMH, DCJS,
NYPD, Chiefs of Police Association,
Sheriffs’ Association, 911 Coordinators
Association, Mental Hygiene Directors
Association.
WHY IS MENTAL HEALTH
TRAINING IMPORTANT TO
DISPATCHERS?
• Encounters account for a significant
percentage of law enforcement
contacts
• Maximize safety
• Use judgment effectively
GOAL – TO PREPARE
DISPATCHERS TO:
• Identify emotionally disturbed
persons and mentally ill persons
• Handle situations involving them
safely and effectively
PRINCIPLES OF THIS
TRAINING
• Well-trained dispatchers can effectively
assist in the response to an EDP
• Effective police response can assist a person
with mental illness in his/her recovery
• Effective police response may assist in
diverting a person with mental illness from
the criminal justice system, when
appropriate
WORK GROUP MEMBERS
•
Molly Bates – DCJS
• Anthony Russo – NYPD
•
Donald Fischer – DOS OFPC
•
Joseph Grube – Sheriff’s Assoc.
Cattaraugus Co. S.O.
• Margaret Ryan – Chief’s Assoc.
Dryden P.D.
•
Vincent Guerriera – NYPD
•
Paul LeBlanc – Mental Hygiene
Dir. Assoc.
•
Dr. Liwen Lee – OMH
•
Jerry Miller – DCJS
•
Andrew Pohl – DOS OFPC
• Marilyn Schrader – DOS OFPC
• Sandra Smith – 9-1-1
Coordinators Assoc. Yates Co.
• Mark Spawn – Chief’s Assoc.
• Rachel Vandeusen – NYSP
• Anne Zweiman – NYC DMH
THE PROCESS
• The work group met on 9/30 & 10/1 at DCJS
• A review of the current curriculum was
presented by DOS – OFPC
• The work group members felt that an update
and an enhancement of Section 05 – Telephone
of the Emergency Services Dispatch course
(slides 89 – 121) would meet the objective of
the Panel Report.
TRAINING MODULES
• Module 1 – Background on Mental Illness and
the relationship to the C.J. community
• Module 2 – What is a Crisis Intervention Team
• Module 3 – Mentally Ill vs. Emotionally
Disturbed
TRAINING MODULES
• Module 4 – Categories of Mental Illness
• Module 5 – Indicators of Mental Illness
• Module 6 – Communication Skills for calls for
service related to Mentally Ill and Emotionally
Disturbed individuals
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
Learning Objectives.doc
QUESTIONS ?
CONTACT INFORMATION
Jerry Miller
NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services
Office of Public Safety
4 Tower Place, Albany NY 12203
518.485.7594
gerard.miller@dcjs.state.ny.us