It’s off to class we go
The class room is becoming a more familiar place for many officers
In the course of their duty, frontline police come into to contact with many different types of people. Sometimes, those people are dealing with mental illness and are in various stages of mental health crisis.
Mental illness does not discriminate by class, sex, race, culture or age and often results in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.
Research across the world has shown that training in mental health issues for first response officers has resulted in a reduction in injuries to members of the public and police. It is a vital component to ongoing police training.
This month, 26 constables from Mackay Police District took part in Mental Health Intervention training that aims to equip them with necessary skills to identify and communicate with vulnerable persons, including persons with a mental health disorders.
Although mental illness does not always equate with violence, this training also prepares the constables to safely intervene at an incident where people are demonstrating erratic behaviour or are exhibiting impaired decision making ability. The aim is to always get everyone involved home safely and for those in crisis, crucial medical intervention.
Remember, it’s never too late to ask your loved ones, friends, colleagues – R U OK?
Source: Mackay Crime Alert
