1. How do you think the Human Services Model would view the problems in police involved shootings of BIPOC and Mentally Ill persons in the community?
2. What trainings do you think would resolve the issues we face as a society with police involved shootings of "unarmed" person?
3. What are some things you may have learned in college so far that can help you understand why this problem exists in our society?
      

One unique community-based approach to serving the needs of individuals with mental illness represents a col- laborative effort between the National Alliance of Mental Health and local law enforcement in Austin, Texas. The goal of this program is to reduce the number of mentally ill incarcerated or hospitalized and to offer appropriate treatment services to individual clients and families. The Austin Police Department (APD) Crisis Interven- tion Team (CIT) was educated and trained to work with those with mental illness and their families. Two units of law enforcement offer a broad and sensitive approach to meet these unique needs. First, patrol officers offer 24/7 coverage and provide first-responder services. With over 40 hours of CIT training, these officers learn how to de-escalate a crisis, assess the danger to self and oth- ers, and call for help from the CIT. These patrol officers are trained by mental health clinicians to recognize men- tal health symptoms and how to deal with them effec- tively and empathetically. The training decriminalizes the behaviors and the individuals displaying these symptoms. The APD CIT unit retains responsibility for policy intervention for the mentally ill, developing partner- ships with local human service organizations, training patrol officers, and reviewing incidents and outcomes. The partnership between the APD and local mental health organizations, particularly a crisis team, supports the frontline work of the patrol officer (Austin Police Department, 2016).