Publication Date
Spring 2018
Degree Type
Master's Project
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Department
Urban and Regional Planning
First Advisor
Frances Edwards
Keywords
Mental health emergencies, Policing, Community policing, Watsonville, Police training, Crisis intervention training
Abstract
Police officers respond to a variety of calls for service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including mental-health related emergencies. With deinstitutionalization of individuals with severe mental illness, officers are often the first to be called to contact these individuals when they are in crisis (DeCuir, Lamb & Weinberger, 2002). Yet, few law enforcement officers have adequate training to manage interactions with people in mental health crisis. Officers perceive mental health related calls as very unpredictable and dangerous, which without adequate training in de-escalation, could inadvertently cause them to approach in a manner which escalates the situation (Fulambarker & Watson, 2012).
The City of Watsonville has offered the Crisis Intervention Training (CIBHS, 2015) and developed a partnership with Santa Cruz County Mental Health Department to improve their response to these individuals. This research is built on the question, “What are police agencies doing to assist their officers when responding to calls for service that involve individuals with a mental health condition?” This research will conduct a process evaluation of what the Watsonville Police Department is providing to assist its officers when responding to these types of calls for service. The research will focus on the newest training provided and evaluate the efficiency of the newly implemented program known as the Crisis Assessment Respond Engagement Team (C.A.R.E.).
Recommended Citation
Perez, Joseph, "Police Response To Mental Health-Related Calls for Service in the City of Watsonville: A Process Evaluation of the City of Watsonville’s Plan to Assist Their Officers When Responding to Citizens with Mental Health Issues" (2018). Master's Projects. 592.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.c5xd-gced
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_projects/592
Included in
Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Public Administration Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons
