by MARK, GOOD EVENING, VICKY. RICK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A FIRE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COMES OUT. IF YOU HAVE A PHYSICAL INJURY EMS RESPONSE BUT IF SOMEONE HAS A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROBLEM. Louisville sends cops. AND THE DOJ SAYS THESE OFFICERS DO NOT HAVE THE PROPER TRAINING FOR THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. IS SOCIETY AS A WHOLE ON A LEARNING CURVE IN REGARDING THE PROPER RESPONSE TO PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIORAL OR MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. AS A FORMER JEFFERSON DISTRICT COURT JUDGE, DAVID HOLTON HAS SEEN MANY PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT OF THE SYSTEM. THIS US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REPORT FOUND PART OF THE PROBLEM OF HOW METRO LOUISVILLE AND LMPD DEAL WITH PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. THERE ARE BETTER WAYS. THERE ARE MORE HUMAN WAYS. THERE ARE MORE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE WAYS TO DEAL WITH OUR MENTALLY ILL POPULATION. THE DOJ IDENTIFIED SEVERAL PROBLEMS IN RESPONDING BY OFFICIALS TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CALLS. IN SOME CASES THE OFFICERS MAKE JOKE, SPAND THEM IN CRISIS OR TREAT THEM WITH CONTEMPT. IN OTHER CASES, THEY AMENDED THE PROBLEMS, FOR EXAMPLE, BY SURROUNDING PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE OFFICERS YELLING ORDERS. BUT THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES. WE VISITED SEVEN COUNTY SERVICES THAT ONE YEAR AGO CREATED CRISIS TRIAGE WORKERS TO TAKE PHONE CALLS FROM 911 OPERATORS. WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH, WHO IS ABLE TO JUST BE WITH YOU AND SIT WITH YOU IN THE CRISIS AND THE ESCALATION, JUST HAVE TIME TO SIT AND LISTENING AND SO YOU CAN FEEL HEARD. NICOLE WISEMAN SAYS THEY HAVE ALSO FORMED A MOBILE CRISIS TEAM AT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY THAT YOU CAN SEND TO THE FIELD IF YOU NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL WE CAN TAKE YOU THERE AND RATE, RATE. IF NEEDED. I CAN ALSO CONNECT THEM TO OTHER RESOURCES LIKE SHELTER. JUST PRETTY ANYTHING YOU WOULD HELP WOULD HELP YOU GET OVER THIS MOMENT OF CRISIS. THE DOJ REPORT MAKES SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CITY, INCLUDING EXPANDING THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR MOBILE CRISIS TEAM, ENSURE THAT 911 OPERATORS ACTUALLY DEPLOY THIS TEAM AND RECALL POLICE OFFICERS ONLY WHEN NECESSARY, AND IMPROVE LAPD’S OWN CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM. THE FASTER WE ADJUST AND ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS IN THE RIGHT WAY, THE BETTER WE WILL BE. THE MOBILE CRISIS THAT YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT LAUNCHED ONE YEAR AGO WITH A PILOT PROGRAM IN THE FOURTH LIP OF LIPPI. UNTIL MARCH 21. THEY WILL HAVE EXPANDED TO ALL EIGHT DIVISIONS, SEVEN COUNTY SAYS THEY ALSO WANT TO HIRING MORE CRISIS TRIAGE WORKERS. BUT HOW MANY EMPLOYERS DO YOU HAVE
Mental health advocates hope the DOJ report on LMPD will help with behavioral health issues
Updated March 10, 2023 7:07 PM EST
Mental health advocates in Louisville hope a new report from the US Department of Justice will help people with behavior problems get the help they need. said David Holton, a former Jefferson County District Court judge. Holton says he’s seen a lot of people going in and out of the system with health issues. “There are better ways, there are more humane ways, there are more financially responsible ways of dealing with our mentally ill population,” Holton said. In some cases, officials joked, mocked crisis patients, or treated them with contempt. In other cases, they compounded problems by, for example, surrounding people with multiple officers shouting orders. But there are alternatives to this, like Seven Counties Services, which a year ago created a crisis triage to take calls from 911 operators. They can sit with you in crisis situations and de-escalate, just have time to sit and listen so they feel heard said Nicole Wiseman of Seven Counties Services. Wiseman says they’ve also formed a mobile crisis response team at the city’s request. “If they need to go to the hospital, we can take them there and do an emergency evaluation,” Wiseman said “We can also connect them to other resources like shelter, just about anything that would help them get through this moment of crisis.” and ensuring 911 operators actually dispatch that team and only include cops when necessary, and improve the LMPD’s own crisis intervention team. “The faster we adapt and address these issues properly, the better off we’ll be,” Holton said.
Louisville’s mental health advocates are hoping a new report from the US Department of Justice will help people with behavior problems get the help they need.
“Society as a whole is on a learning curve in terms of the appropriate response to people with behavioral or mental health problems,” said David Holton, a former Jefferson County District Court Judge.
Holton says he saw a lot of people going in and out of the system.
The DOJ’s report on the Louisville Metro Police Department found that part of the problem is how the LMPD treats people with behavioral health problems.
“There are better ways, there are more humane ways, there are more financially responsible ways of dealing with our mentally ill population,” Holton said.
The DOJ found several issues with how officials responded to behavioral health calls. In some cases, officers joked, taunted, or treated crisis patients with contempt.
In other cases, they compounded the problems by, for example, surrounding people with multiple officers shouting orders.
But there are alternatives, like Seven Counties Services, which set up crisis triage a year ago to handle calls from 911 operators.
“When you’re going through a mental health crisis, to be able to talk to someone who understands what you’re going through, who’s able to be with you and be able to sit with you and de-escalate the crisis, you just have time to sit and listen so they feel heard,” said Nicole Wiseman of Seven Counties Services.
Wiseman says they’ve also set up a mobile crisis team at the city’s request, which is being sent into the field.
“If they need to go to the hospital, we can take them there and examine them if necessary,” Wiseman said. “We can also connect them to other resources like shelter, just about anything that would help them get through this moment of crisis.”
The DOJ report makes several recommendations for the city, including expanding the mobile crisis response team pilot program, ensuring 911 operators actually dispatch that team and only involving police officers when needed, and improving the LMPD’s own crisis intervention team.
“The faster we adapt and address these issues properly, the better off we’ll be,” Holton said.
