A MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS
 

Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis A United Way Agency

In this issue . . .

Ten years later, McAtee joined the United States Navy.  Upon his return, he resumed his legal practice and served as St. Louis County Counselor from 1950 until 1954.   

During his career, John J. McAtee served on numerous boards of directors for agencies that assisted people in need.  Most notably, he dedicated much of his time as an advocate on behalf of persons suffering from mental illness.  His dedication to upholding the law, his interaction with law enforcement and the court system, and his compassion for persons with mental illness was the driving force behind the creation of an award bearing his name.

Click here for a form to nominate an officer or to make a reservation to attend the luncheon to honor fellow officers. The presentation of awards is one of many events planned for May, which is recognized nationally as Mental Health Month.

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Current Issues: State Budget Cuts

By Jim House, Executive Director, Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis.

The budget battles are shaping up in the Missouri legislature. What can we expect?

As a result of budget cuts, your own life as a police officer will not be any easier. Mental health coordinators are being eliminated in this round of budget cuts. This is being done as a money saver and it eliminates a system that has never been properly funded or staffed. At the same time, the Missouri Department of Mental Health does not have a clearly defined plan to provide assistance in involuntary commitments for police officers across the state.

Education once again is a high priority. Between Fiscal Years 2000 and 2003, Missouri’s general fund had negative revenue growth of -$113.1 million. During the same timeframe, Missouri increased funding for elementary and secondary education by $2.37 billion.

In addition, the legislature decided not to pledge tobacco settlement revenues to the repayment of borrowed funds, but essentially pledged the state’s credit to the borrowing through the state Board of Public Buildings.

While the state chose an option that has always been there, they may have also started sliding down a slippery slope. The deal that was cut will have the building board issue bonds that will be used to cover part of the budget deficit for this year and next year. However, in return, the state will have to shell out a comparable amount of general revenue in the next few years for the buildings and maintenance and repair projects that form the basis for the tax-exempt projects under the bonds. In addition, the state in fiscal year 2007 will have to pay approximately $30 million for 22 years to pay off the bonds.

Once again one-time funding for ongoing operations is being used BUT the state is pledging its credit toward the payment of debt to cover this deficit.

As the legislature wears on, I am sure we will see many more budget cuts that will affect treatment programs that you access for people needing help.

By Sgt. Dan Fitzgerald, a veteran of the Brentwood Police Department for 19 years. He is a School Resource Officer, a D.A.R.E. instructor, a presenter on the Mental Health Association’s Police Training Team, and a member of the Street Talk advisory committee.

On January 9, a call for a disturbance in Clackamas County, Oregon, turned out to be a tragedy that deputies of the department will never forget. Because the suspect was a 15-year old boy with mental illness, I think the situation is worthy of discussion in this forum.

Nick Tiexara thought the police were out to get him. He had been acting paranoid for several weeks, and it worried his family and friends. He had recently run away from home and had been suspended from school. On the evening of January 9, his mother had heard enough. She dialed 911 and asked police to take her son away. Deputies responded and took Nick outside to await an ambulance for conveyance to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Sgt. Damon Coates, an 18 year veteran, prepared to pat down Tiexara, when the 15-year old pulled out a gun and shot Coates in the face. Deputies returned fire, wounding Tiexara.

Sgt. Coates survived the shooting, but remains in serious condition. The young man was charged with assault and attempted murder, remaining in custody on $1million bail. While this officer would never second guess or criticize another, I think some valuable lessons can be gained from this tragedy that may save the lives of another officer:

• Even though these officers were dealing with a "kid," this was a kid with a lot of problems. The desire to help the kid cannot overshadow the need for safety against him.
• Even though this deputy had two other officers as backup, you cannot assume there is always safety in numbers. Irrational behavior does not care if it is outnumbered.
• Waiting for an ambulance sometimes puts us in a mode where we may let our guard down, thinking help is on the way.

Recent training has taught all police officers to be more understanding when dealing with persons who have mental illness. That does not mean you back down from your main goal of providing safety for yourself and others. Always be aware of the potential for unpredictable behavior. Police officers should be caring AND careful.

Note: A relief fund has been set up for Sgt. Coates’ family (four children). Donations can be mailed to Clackamas Federal Credit Union, P.O. box 2020, Oregon City, Oregon 97045.

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Q&A

By Keith Shaw, Ph.D., Chief of Clinical Services at Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital.

A: America’s military forces are increasingly represented by military reserve forces and National Guard units. In the 1990’s, we saw such forces deployed in Desert Storm, as well as in various United Nations and other peacekeeping missions around the world (e.g., Bosnia, Sinai peninsula, Afghanistan). And, today’s news is filled with stories about the deployments related to Iraq. Consequently, local communities and families are dealing with many related and stressful circumstances that follow from such call-ups.

• Wives, husbands, children, mothers, fathers, and other relatives are dealing with worries about their nearest relatives (and the potential dangers they may face in these military deployments);
• Families may be facing potential financial hardships, concerns about job security, or other stresses related to the absence of bread-winners;
• The remaining spouses (or other relatives) may be providing child care for the children of military reservists or National Guardsmen;
• Many business owners, partners, fellow employees, and others will be dealing with the uncertainty of an absent co-worker;
• Very young children, who may lack the ability to understand the absence or the reasons for their parent’s (or other relative’s) absence, may become very emotionally upset or behaviorally disruptive (especially little boys);
• But, regardless of age or circumstances, all of these people may be very troubled by the uncertainty of the situation. (That is, they don’t know how long their loved one, relative, business associate, or friend will be absent or whether they will be safe.)

So, in dealing with the public, law enforcement officers undoubtedly will encounter many people who are affected by military call-ups. (Indeed, as noted elsewhere in this issue, police officers and departments are also directly affected by these military deployments.) Undoubtedly, the individuals and families touched by these call-ups are facing additional, significant life stresses.

A: Based upon studies of families and individuals in these situations, it appears that:

• Individuals and families who already have suffered earlier traumatic events and life stresses (e.g., victims of serious and violent crimes, marital stress or instability, prior job and financial problems, previous substance abuse and / or serious emotional problems) are at greater risk to have significant problems related to military deployments.
• Families lacking social supports or assistance from others (e.g., socially isolated parents of children, who are facing a prolonged absence and limited financial support);
• As noted above, very young children (especially boys) appear to be at somewhat higher risk for behavioral and emotional problems in dealing with extended parental absence.

A: For some, a police officer’s assistance, understanding and empathy may be very powerful. And, when appropriate, an officer may also be in a unique position to suggest that there are helpful resources for these individuals and families, who are affected by the stresses associated with these deployments. One local resource for crisis intervention is Behavioral Health Response (314-469-6644). Another resource specifically for family members of military personnel is the Family Readiness Office of the Department of the Army (1-800-892-7266 and Sharon.adams@usarc-emh2.army.mil). They have a really helpful newsletter for military persons and family members.

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Open Mind is a column produced by the Mental Health Association, which appears weekly in many Suburban Journals.  Click here for the reprint above and access to the entire Open Mind Archive on this website.

Police departments across the country are frequently called to crisis incidents involving persons with mental illness. Traditionally, law enforcement provides officers with minimal training in dealing with persons in a mental illness crisis. Sometimes these incidents are high risk and can lead to tragedy. In January and February of 2003, Miami-Dade County Police responded to incidents that unfortunately resulted in the deaths of two people who were in crisis. Crisis Intervention Team, "CIT," was developed as a result of such tragic incidents. The CIT "model" originated in Memphis, TN, in 1988. It was developed through the Memphis Police Department in conjunction with the local mental health system. The purpose of this model was to create a specialized law enforcement program that could effectively, in a compassionate and safe manner, interact with person in mental health crisis.

In 2002, St. Louis County Police Chief Ron Battelle, with the cooperation and help of mental health organizations such as National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI-St. Louis), Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis, Missouri Department of Mental Health, Behavioral Health Response (BHR), BJC Behavioral Health and the St. Louis County Counselor’s office met to research and develop a CIT program. This partnership researched CIT programs in other areas of the country. As a result, two St. Louis County police officers, along with representatives from the mental health community, traveled to the Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Police Department to attend a 40-hour CIT training class. With this experience, the St. Louis County Police Department and our mental health partners created a CIT Coordinating Council and began developing the first local crisis intervention team. Committees have been organized with representatives from mental health services, hospitals, advocates, NAMI, consumers and survivors of mental illness to develop the CIT and assist in training the team’s police officers.

The St. Louis County CIT will be made up of officers and sergeants who volunteer to participate in the 40-hour academy-based training. The training will be conducted through the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy. The program will be an intensive specialized course to provide skill, methods and tactics to safely de-escalate incidents involving persons in mental health crisis. Training will also include understanding mental illness and assessing the mental health system. Upon completion of training, the officers will return to serve in a patrol capacity, but will be available to respond to and handle mental health crisis situations. Initially, one sergeant and six to nine officers from each precinct will participate in the training and become a CIT member.

The St. Louis County Police Department has set a goal to train 20% of its patrol as CIT officers. Each year, the department will send officers to the 40-hour POST-certified training until the goal is reached. A training program for 911 operators will also be developed to help them recognize persons in crisis so CIT officers can immediately be dispatched. The goal of the officer who responds to a crisis is to safely de-escalate and resolve the conflict. The officer will ensure that the person in crisis will be transported to an appropriate facility or the crisis will be resolved at the scene with appropriate follow-up by mental health experts.

CIT programs throughout the country have realized many benefits, including:

• Greater efficiency and obtaining care for people in crisis
• Increased officer safety
• Less liability due to increased professionalism
• Fewer arrests of persons with mental illness
• Less burden on the court system
• Improved public perception of police response
• Improved satisfaction from the ill person and their family
• Minimized officer "turn-around" time when transporting person to emergency room

CIT is a win-win for everyone; the police department, the community, the mental health system and the patient all benefit. CIT is an example of policing in the future and hopefully will spread to other departments in the St. Louis area.

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As many students of military or reserve families are beginning to experience deployment concerns, the American School Counselor Association has pulled together helpful information, tips and resources to assist kids and adults deal with separation from a loved one. You can access this information online at www.schoolcounselor.org. At press time, the article "Dealing with Deployment" was listed on the home page and available by double-clicking the title. If it’s been archived into the website, just go to the top of the home page, click on the Search button, and type in deployment to begin the search.

We have begun archiving past issues of Street Talk on this website. 

January 2003

April 2002

July 2002

October 2002

Following is a dated index of previous articles that have appeared in Street Talk.  To get a copy of any article or a previous issue, please call LaDonna Haley at 314-773-1399.

"It Worked for Me" (Officer Gorman)

Holiday blues vs. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

What should I know about Bipolar Disorder?

"When it finally hit home – part 1" (FBI agent Burt Jensen)

Public policy, mental health, your work

Liability issues for officers and departments

In the Limelight: Hazelwood PD

At Your Service: St. Patrick Center

I’d like you to know (helpful hints)

Dealing with frequent callers

"When it finally hit home – part 2" (FBI agent Burt Jensen)

Officer and Department of the year awards

At Your Service: Provident Counseling

Q&A: All about EAP’s

Know your mental health options

What does confidentiality really mean?

Rethinking our strategies (John Bozarth)

Anger management

Helping peers in distress

In the Limelight: Ballwin and Hazelwood PD’s

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