A National Curriculum to Enhance Police Engagement With People With Behavioral Health Issues and Developmental Disabilities

Academic Training to Inform Police Responses: A National Curriculum to Enhance Police Engagement With People With Behavioral Health Issues and Developmental Disabilities
Source
Bureau of Justice Assistance
National Curriculum to Enhance Police Engagement With People With Behavioral Health Issues and Developmental Disabilities one-pager image

Researchers from the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati - in collaboration with Policy Research Associates, the Arc of the United States’ National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police - are cooperatively working on a national curriculum, technologically advanced training methods, and best practice guides and products that will facilitate the achievement of three objectives: 1) Address the need for additional police training and resources for effective service to BH and I/DD individuals; 2) Raise awareness among law enforcement personnel about the nature and needs of persons with BH issues and I/DD; and 3) Facilitate the use of evidence-based and best practices in police response to persons with BH issues and I/DD.

This fact sheet outlines the features of a collaborative project whose goal is to improve the training of police for effective interactions with and services to individuals with behavioral health (BH) issues and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).