A new report released by the Mental Health Commission of Canada identifies ways to improve the mental health training and education that police personnel receive.
"People with mental illnesses is a prominent issue for Canada's police community, and today's report builds on the increasingly collaborative relationship between law enforcement and people with mental illnesses," says Queen's adjunct professor Dorothy Cotton, a forensic psychologist with an interest in the area of police psychology. "This is a gap-analysis tool that police academy and police services can use to improve their education and training."
TEMPO: Police Interactions -- A report towards improving interactions between police and people living with mental health problems includes several key recommendations:
"The most important part of the report and what comes after is making sure people living with mental illness are involved in the delivery of training," says Dr. Cotton, who earned a Diamond Jubilee Medal recognizing her work in relation to interactions between police and people with mental illness.
The TEMPO report is the result of a comprehensive survey of Canadian police organizations; a literature review; an international comparative review of police learning programs; and direct interviews with a variety of police and mental health professionals.
Read the full TEMPO report here: http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/document/36596/tempo-police-interactions-report-towards-improving-interactions-between-police-and-pe
Story Source:
Materials provided by Queen's University. Original written by Anne Craig. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Cite This Page: