Mental health training mandatory for all Las Vegas police officers

Bess Norris was ready to commit suicide.

After a series of stressful events, Norris' mental health issues, which included bipolar disorder and depression, had reached a breaking point.

But thankfully, the right officer knocked on her door.

"You are dealing with someone on the worst day of their life," Norris said. "All you have to do is treat them with kindness."

That's what she got from Sgt. Josh Houchen from the Metropolitan Police Department, who had been sent to her after concerned friends alerted the police.

Training officers

Officer Michael Rodriguez, a spokesman for Metro, said because there are circumstances in which law enforcement come to a scene where the person is dealing with a mental illness, it is important officers are trained to deal with the situation using minimal force. Until about two years ago, for cadets at the academy, mental health training was elective. Now, the 40-hour training is mandatory for all.

"We felt that the information they would be getting was necessary for all officers," Rodriguez said.

During the training, cadets go over symptoms and signs, such as what to look for if someone is having a schizophrenic episode.

"They will learn about triggers for (post-traumatic stress disorder)," Rodriguez added.

Most of all, the training goes over do's and dont's of dealing with those with a mental illness. Officers are also given an overview of common language and medications they could encounter in the field.

"So when someone tells them they are on Abilify or Ritalin, they know what that is," Rodriguez said.

Also as part of training, cadets do site visits of different facilities they might deal with, such as Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital or Mojave Mental Health.

Not only Metro's officers go through this training.

"Anyone who might come in contact with the public goes through this," Rodriguez said. "That's our corrections officers, dispatchers, records clerks. Anyone who is having face-to-face contact with the public."

Whether it's cadets or current officers, people who have suffered from mental illness and encountered law enforcement have shared their stories. Wanting to turn her life around from that event four years ago, Norris speaks with officers about her story to give them a different perspective.

"I ask them who they picture when they think about mental illness," she said, adding that while they might come up with various images, it could be anyone.

"One in five people suffer from a mental illness," she said. "I tell them that the next time they are out and see five cars, at least one of those people could have a mental illness."

But even with the course work from the academy, officers aren't trained professionals when it comes to dealing with mental illness.

"But many of these issues land in our laps," Rodriguez said. "You can't call a mental health professional 24 hours a day. Who can you call? Us. So this lands in our laps."

Re-entering society

Law enforcement isn't the only portion of the criminal justice system people with a mental illness might have to deal with. While it isn't new for the prison system to have mentally ill patients, many correctional facilities are recognizing the need to have a deeper discussion on the topic.

"What's changing is the ways in which we approach mental illness in society," said James Dzurenda, director for the Nevada Department of Corrections. "For example, there are campaigns to reduce the stigma of mental illness, encouraging people to seek help when it's needed, and that's spilling into the prison systems."

With that, the Nevada Department of Corrections has refocused its mission to rehabilitation.

"That includes those with mental illness," Dzurenda said. "We are currently restructuring the program dealing with how we care for inmates with acute mental illness."

Dzurenda said most people who are being housed in a correctional facility with a mental illness could have their acute health issue stabilized with medication.

"It's based on behavior and the ability to function in a regular society rather than a diagnosis of a particular illness," he said. "Don't forget: One person with a serious mental illness may respond to medications and not need more care, where another may need therapy as well as medication to function at the same level."

Dzurenda said the department is looking to implement more policies.

"We are creating a three-step clinical housing unit structure where inmates move through the program based on their progress or regress, with the goal of getting into general population prior to their re-entry into society," he said.

To reach Henderson View reporter Michael Lyle, email mlyle@viewnews.com or call 702-387-5201. Find him on Twitter: @mjlyle.

Upcoming Mind Matters story topics:

The final story in View's Mind Matters series is set to look at how we begin to improve the mental health system in Nevada.

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