Mental Illness and Police: A Hopeful Story

Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined

Serious question: Why is it that when people show signs of serious mental illness or psychosis -- calling the police for help is often viewed as a "last resort" by families and loved ones? Historically, when law enforcement and mental illness intersect, the results have been patchy. But Sgt. Cara Thomson of Surrey RCMP's Police Mental Health Outreach team wants to change that. Her unit handles police-related mental health and addiction calls for service and staffs the Car 67 program, where a registered Psychiatric Nurse rides with a police officer, attending mental health calls. Sgt. Thomson joins host Faydra Aldridge for a candid conversation about mental health, violence, and law enforcement.

Additional Resources

• Combining Police with Nurses for Mental Health Calls Isn't BC's First Came in 1978
• Breaking the Cycle of Crisis: The role of police in crisis intervention (Visions Journal, 2017, Vol 12(4))
• Building Connections with Police Mental Health Resources

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