Exploring paths forward: Understanding the frontline experience of police during mental health calls and the benefit of co-response teams

Abstract

Systemic shortcomings and lack of adequate and accessible mental health resources have led to police officers often acting as frontline responders to individuals experiencing mental health crises or challenges (Iacobucci, 2014). Substantial attention has been devoted to improving police encounters during such calls, with use of integrated clinician-police co-response teams showing positive outcomes (Seo et al., 2021). The current dissertation explored the experience of officers responding to mental health related calls as well as the potential benefit of co-response models in New Brunswick. In addition to interviews with officers (N = 30), police records were reviewed to compare effects of three different mental health call response models (N = 306): traditional police service (n = 70), integrated co-response service (n = 169), as well as a modified clinician support service (n = 67). Results highlighted the dynamic presentation of mental health calls, which averaged 60.46 (SD = 66.77) minutes in duration and rarely involved use of force. Call outcomes (e.g., arrest, mental health apprehension, use of force) were influenced by the presence of specific mental health indicators. Officer responses, including use of force and mental health apprehensions, significantly influenced officer time spent on call over and beyond other measured variables. In addition, the integrated co-response team and clinician support service demonstrated fewer mental health apprehensions and fewer requests for emergency services compared to traditional response, with the integrated team also more likely to initiate community referrals and rely on communication strategies while being less likely to use force. Although the integrated team spent less time on call, important resource considerations include follow-up and record keeping. Officer reflections provided context to mental health call responding, including challenges responding to recurrent clients, navigating “shades of gray” in client presentations, balancing multiple roles, limited applied training, and desire for more collaboration among systems. Results from the current dissertation contribute to the growing literature on police encounters with persons in crisis, providing context to the experiences of officers from their perspective. Further, results contribute to the utility of co-response teams in New Brunswick and inform continued program development and implementation.