Descriptive Evaluation of the Seattle Police Department's Crisis Response Team Officer/Mental Health Professional Partnership Pilot Program

• NCJ Number: 249985
• Journal: International Journal of Law and Psychiatry Volume: 44 Dated: January-February 2016 Pages: 109-122
• Author(s): J. B. Helfgott; M. J. Hickman; A. P. Labossiere
• Date Published: January 2016
• Length: 14 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
• Publication Format: Article; Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Evaluation; Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Results from this study were presented at the International Academy of Law and Mental Health Congress, Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 18, 2013.

Annotation

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) recently improved their response to individuals in behavioral crisis through a pilot Crisis Response Team (CRT) consisting of dedicated Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officers (OFC) paired with a Mental Health Professional (MHP). This article presents results of an incident-based descriptive evaluation of the SPD's CRT pilot program, implemented from 2010 to 2012.

Abstract

The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the value-added by the MHP in cases involving individuals in behavioral crisis as well as the effectiveness of the CRT program regarding resolution time, repeat contacts, and referral to services. Data were collected from SPD general offense and supplemental reports for a 12-month segment of the program. Key variables included incident location, case clearance, repeat contacts, linkages to services, and case disposition. Results of analyses of general offense and supplemental reports are presented and implications for future development of the OFC/MHP partnership are discussed. (Publisher abstract modified)