Despite their limited mental
health expertise, police are often first to respond to people experiencing a
mental health crisis. Often the person in crisis is then transported to
hospital for care, instead of receiving more immediate assessment and treatment
in the community.
The current study conducted an evaluation of an Australian
joint police-mental health mobile response unit that aimed to improve the delivery
of a community-based crisis response. Activity data were audited to demonstrate
utilization and outcomes for referred people. Police officers and mental health
clinicians in the catchment area were also surveyed to measure the unit's
perceived impact.
During the 6-month pilot, 296 contacts involving the unit
occurred. Threatened suicide (33%), welfare concerns (22%) and psychotic
episodes (18%) were the most common reasons for referral. The responses
comprised direct admission to a psychiatric unit for 11% of contacts,
transportation to a hospital emergency department for 32% of contacts, and
community management for the remainder (57%).
Police officers were highly
supportive of the model and reported having observed benefits of the unit for
consumers and police and improved collaboration between services. The joint
police-mental health clinician unit enabled rapid delivery of a multi-skilled
crisis response in the community.
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By:
- 1Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), The Alfred and Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- 2Department of Psychiatry, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- 3Victoria Police Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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