Responding to Juveniles with Mental Health Needs

May 3, 2011 - PRLog -- Responding to Juveniles with Mental Health Needs

A recent training provided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NH, and hosted by Keep Sound Minds, highlights the partnership of these two groups to educate first responders about strategies for effectively responding to behaviors caused by mental illness.  This training brought together police departments from Charlestown, Croydon, Langdon, Surry, Walpole and Winchester.  According to New Hampshire Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-NH), “Law enforcement officers are often the first on the scene of a crisis involving juveniles with serious emotional disorders or those who are demonstrating signs of an illness.  Handling these situations requires specific tactical and communication skills and an understanding of the resources available.  Research has demonstrated that the proper response from law enforcement can reduce the amount of time on a call and increase safety for all involved.”

This critical training covered several important issues for first responders, including the mental health system and legal procedures, community and state resources for issues regarding mental illness, crisis assessment and management skills when responding to calls that mental illness may be a factor, practices and protocols, confidentiality standards, communicating pertinent information and working with families in crisis situations.

Rosemary Millard, Lieutenant of the Langdon Police Department, helped to organize this training at Langdon’s Fall Mountain Regional High School.  Principal Thomas Ronning met with the presenters and participants and also provided lunch for them.  Millard, who has worked in law enforcement for 20 years, spoke about the importance of this training for New Hampshire police departments.  “I was very pleased with the turn out and how many different agencies did take advantage of the training.  When I first started in this field there was no training on how to approach and manage a juvenile experiencing a mental health crisis.  I am pleased to see that New Hampshire is taking charge and informing officers on how to work with both the person that is dealing with mental disorders as well as their families.”

The nonprofit Keep Sound Minds (KSM) has focused efforts on helping law enforcement better understand mental illness through improved training.  Since the deaths of family members Kaleigh, Shane, and Marci, Ken and Danielle Lambert, Co-Founders of KSM have created an ongoing effort to raise awareness about mental illness and its impact on society.  Kaleigh, 5, and Shane Lambert, 4, died in January 2008 when their aunt Marci Thibault walked them into oncoming traffic on Interstate 495 in Lowell, Massachusetts.  Thibault and the children were struck and killed in an accident that was caused by a misunderstood mental illness.  Through the on-going efforts of KSM the Lamberts hope to prevent similar accidents from occurring, by improving society’s understanding and management of mental health issues.  Additionally, KSM is working to improve mental health discharge procedures and is also assisting in early detection of mental health illness through the education of school guidance personnel, family practitioners and pediatricians.  Ken Lambert noted, “I was very impressed by the participants, their desire to learn about this topic, and by the fact that several police chiefs were in attendance."

Claudia Ferber, M.S., Director of Child and Family Programs for NAMI-NH, discussed the importance of partnering with KSM and first responder agencies to provide trainings such as these, as NAMI-NH has only been providing the New Hampshire police standards and training for about 5 years.  "By working more closely with law enforcement through education, and organizations such as Keep Sound Minds, NAMI-NH is able to serve as a resource to them.  Police officers are on the front line, and it is critical they have the opportunity to learn about mental health issues, especially signs, symptoms and strategies to respond to youth in a psychiatric crisis.  

We know that a police officer’s approach can influence the outcome of the interaction for a youth struggling with a mental health issue.  I commend the leadership of the departments and the efforts of Rosemary Millard to bring this training to their community.”  

This training and the partnership of NAMI-NH and KSM highlights the success of these two organizations that are networking to improve the systems of care for those with mental illness, thereby strengthening the communities that they serve.  NAMI has chapters in all 50 states to provide support, education, information and advocacy.  For more information on NAMI-NH services and trainings visit their website at www.naminhorg.org, contact them at (603) 225-5359 or via email at info@naminh.org.  KSM serves as an advocate and community resource for families and first responders in New Hampshire and Massachusetts to provide trainings, information and support.  To find out more about Keep Sound Minds and their work, visit their website at www.keepsoundminds.org; contact them at (978) 662-9902 or via email at victoria@keepsoundminds.org.

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Keep Sound Minds (KSM), a New England-based nonprofit organization that is dedicated to raising awareness about mental illness.