Academic Training to Inform Police Responses: A National Curriculum to Enhance Police Engagement With People With Behavioral Health Issues and Developmental Disabilities

• NCJ Number: 255097
• Date Published: July 2020
• Length: 1 page
• Grant Number(s): 2020-NT-BX-K001
• Agencies: BJA-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description; Instructional Material

Annotation

This fact sheet outlines the features of a collaborative project whose goal is to improve the training of police for effective interactions with and services to individuals with behavioral health (BH) issues and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Abstract

Researchers from the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati - in collaboration with Policy Research Associates, the Arc of the United States' National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police - are cooperatively working on a national curriculum, technologically advanced training methods, and best practice guides and products that will facilitate the achievement of three objectives: 1) Address the need for additional police training and resources for effective service to BH and I/DD individuals; 2) Raise awareness among law enforcement personnel about the nature and needs of persons with BH issues and I/DD; and 3) Facilitate the use of evidence-based and best practices in police response to persons with BH issues and I/DD.