A MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTER FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS
 

Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri A United Way Agency

In this issue . . .

Editor’s note:  As the logo above left indicates, the Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis is now Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri.  Our web address has changed, too.  You can find us at www.mhaem.org.

There is still time to nominate a police officer for the 2009 John J. McAtee Police Recognition Award.  You can get the nomination form and luncheon RSVP here.

by Shannon Shelley,  MSW, LCSW, Vice President of residential services at Judevine Center for Autism. Judevine has more than 37 years experience and success in making connections for people with autism to their world. The organization offers assessments, parent training, clinical services, adult day services, residential services, supported employment, and various other services.

Autism is currently the focal point of increased scrutiny in the medical, educational and rehabilitation arenas. There has been a lot of focus and discussion on mental illness, but autism has the spotlight. Autism is America’s fastest growing developmental disability. Autism is estimated to affect as many as 1 in 150 children and as many as 1 in 94 boys. With the rise in these numbers, it is important to understand autism and the appropriate ways to intervene for the safety of the individual you encounter and yourself. 

Autism is a neurologically-based developmental disability that affects a person’s ability to socialize, make judgments and communicate. A person affected by autism will experience difficulty with sensory responses to even normal levels of lights, sounds, touches, odors and tastes. For example, when an individual with autism encounters law enforcement, they may be attracted to shiny things such as badges and guns. This same individual may run from law enforcement due to the bright lights on the patrol car or the shrill noise from the siren. 

Law enforcement may encounter individuals with autism for some common reasons. The individual may display unusual behavior in community settings where their mannerisms may not be familiar. Individuals with autism need to have a great deal of pre-instructions related to their day-to-day schedule of activities. As we know, the community is full of unpredictable events and people. Due to sensory issues, individuals with autism may deal with this situation by twirling, hand flapping or body rocking. 

Individuals with autism can at times appear suspicious in a retail setting. For sensory and tactile reasons, individuals may hold on to comforting objects or rearrange or make order out of store displays or products, which may look like shoplifting. In this situation, an officer may gain more cooperation by allowing the individual to hold the item for its calming effect during questioning. 

Here are some helpful hints to help recognize someone with autism:

• May be non-verbal or have limited speech. Please remember…if someone is non-verbal, it doesn’t mean they don’t have receptive language skills.
• Avoids eye contact and will not respond to “look me in the eye.”
• Lacks fear of danger. For example, this person may run into traffic.
• Has insensitivity or tolerance to pain.
• Has unusual responses to lights, sounds or other sensory input.
• Has difficulty interacting with others.

Suggested Police Responses:

• Talk calmly and softly.
• Speak in direct, short phrases such as “stand up now” or “go to the car.” 
• Avoid figurative expressions.
• Allow for delayed responses to your questions or commands.
• Repeat and/or rephrase when needed.
• Display calming body language; give person extra personal space. 
• Seek advice from others on the scene who knows the person with autism. 

Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means that people are affected differently. Autism ranges from mild to severe. The key is to observe the characteristics and be aware of your interaction. If possible, be proactive in your community. Reach out to group homes or apartments in your beat. Get to know the individuals with autism and their families. You will have better results when you understand how they communicate and use helpful de-escalation techniques.   

Source: Dennis Debbaudt   Autism, Advocates, and Law Enforcement Professionals

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By Sgt. Barry Armfield, St. Louis County Police Dept., who has been a St. Louis County officer for more than 30 years, with assignment in all patrol divisions, including Tactical Operations. He currently serves as the CIT Police Liaison Coordinator for the St. Louis County CIT Program. CIT Corner appears regularly in Street Talk.

Late last year, we realized a lot of CIT incidents involved a person diagnosed with Mental Retardation and/or a Disability Disorder (MR/DD). Although we have always had a short description of MR/DD in basic CIT training, we really did not address the specifics of what is knows as Autism Spectrum Disorders. After presenting CIT to several groups representing persons with autism, I realized we were missing some important training issues for CIT officers.  

We were fortunate to have a friend of CIT, Shannon Shelley, who has been a big part of CIT since the beginning in 2003. Shannon holds the position of Vice President of Residential Services at Judevine Center for Autism and has agreed to assist with a training program for our basic training. John Guercio, Vice President for Programs with Judevine, is providing additional training for our 2009 CIT Officer In-Service Training.  

We have also added Michelle Levi-Perez, St. Louis Region Coordinator with MPACT (Missouri Parents Act), to our CIT Council and Training Committee. We look forward to the training these professionals can bring to the CIT Program in the St. Louis Area.   

The St. Charles, Warren and Lincoln County CIT Program began instructing a block on Autism Spectrum Disorders in their basic training in January. The block of instruction was provided by Deputy Steve Case, who is with the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department, and who the father of Matthew Case, an 11-year old diagnosed with autism. The training was well received by the officers in the class. 

We are being very effective with our CIT Program, and everyday I read CIT reports involving a crisis incident where officers are using their training to recognize and de-escalate a mental health crisis using just tactical communications. There are way too many incidents to report in this column where officers have taken a person to a hospital for evaluation and treatment rather than to jail. My hat goes off to all the CIT officers who are dedicated to helping those less fortunate who suffer from a mental illness.  THANK YOU!  Without the dedication of these officers, our CIT programs would not succeed. 

Sgt. Barry Armfield has been a St. Louis County officer for more than 30 years, with assignment in all patrol divisions, including Tactical Operations. He currently serves as the CIT Police Liaison Coordinator for the St. Louis County CIT Program.

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This edition of In the Limelight recognizes Capt. Mike Laws, Overland Police Department, for his dedication to and involvement in Street Talk. 

Since July 2001, Capt. Laws has served as co-chair of the Street Talk Advisory Committee. In addition to chairing meetings, he has authored numerous articles, provided guidance and leadership for the publication’s content, and acted as liaison to the mental health and law enforcement communities to recruit authors for contribution of articles. 

Due to additional and ever-increasing demands on his time at the department, Capt. Laws has left the Street Talk Advisory Committee. We appreciate and thank him for his years of service in publishing the newsletter, and wish him well in his new endeavors.

By Michael Maguire, Executive Director of Options For Justice since 1992. The agency is the only one of its kind in the State of Missouri and is set up to work with offenders with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. Maguire is also a former Illinois State probation officer. He has been a trainer at the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy since 1993 and at the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Academy since 1997, where he has trained hundreds of police officers regarding mental retardation. Maguire can be contacted by calling 314-721-6161.

As a law enforcement officer, you encounter people from many walks of life. Your ability to recognize and correctly handle situations involving people with special needs, such as mental retardation, will largely determine your level of success. 

Some officers use the term “mental illness” as a catch all, or interchangeably with mental retardation. However, mental illness and mental retardation are not the same and should not be treated that way.  

In the past 33 years, the number of people with mental retardation who live in our communities has greatly increased. These individuals are typically law-abiding and can be productive citizens. Unfortunately, as with any other group of citizens, a small percentage of these individuals violate federal, state and local laws and should be held accountable for their acts.

Remember, a person with mild mental retardation may… 

• look like anyone else
• be “street-wise” beyond their actual cognitive level
• try to hide his/her disability and not want it to be noticed
• not understand your commands
• tend to be overwhelmed by your presence
• become very upset at being detained and/or try to run
• be the last to leave the scene and the first one caught
• not understand Miranda
• have trouble describing details and facts of the crime
• tell you what he/she thinks you want to hear
• show confusion about being responsible for the crime and falsely confess

Mental retardation is a developmental disability. Individuals with these disabilities may experience difficulty in areas such as self-care, self-direction, mobility, learning, language and independent living. Common developmental disabilities in addition to mental retardation include learning disabilities, autism, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy. 

Officer safety demands that you initially treat suspects with mental retardation in the same manner as you would any other suspect. However, when the situation is secure, using a calm but firm tone will usually be the best approach in communicating with these individuals.

The guidelines listed below will assist officers in becoming more aware of and increase their ability to recognize mental retardation and how it differs from mental illness:

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By Michael McGuire, Executive Director of Options For Justice since 1992.

Recognition

When people with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities break the law and get arrested, it is important for police officers to remember: 

• The person may try to hide or mask their disability.
• The person may not behave or communicate at his/her age level.
• The person may not really understand Miranda.
• The person may try to please the officer and be overly willing to confess.
• The person may have difficulty recalling facts and details.
• The person may not understand consequences.

Interview/Interrogation Techniques

When the above factors are present in a suspect, officers will probably need to modify their standard interview language, pacing and phrasing. Here are a few Interview and Interrogation tips to help improve communication and the gathering of information when talking with a person who has a mental retardation or developmental disability. 

• Use simple, direct language.  Speak slowly and clearly.
• After Miranda, ask the person to explain their understanding, rather than just giving “yes” or “no” answers.
• Use concrete terms and ideas.
• Avoid questions that tell the person the answer you expect.
• Phrase questions to avoid “yes” or “no” answers.
• Repeat questions from a slightly different perspective.
• Ask for concrete descriptions: colors, clothing, etc.
• Avoid questions about time, complex sequences, or reasons for behavior.

If you think you are dealing with a person who has a mental retardation or other developmental disability, such as autism, cerebral palsy, learning disability related to brain dysfunction, head injury, epilepsy, remember that free consultation is available by contacting:  Options For Justice, 200 S. Hanley, Suite 207, St. Louis, MO  63105, 314-721-6161

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By Michelle Levi-Perez, the St. Louis Region Coordinator for MPACT (Missouri Parents Act), Missouri’s Parent Training and Information Center. Michelle also works for the Family and Community Resource Center at Special School District and is the mother of twin boys with autism.