Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Emily Loveland

Abstract

Mental health crisis calls create significant challenges for law enforcement officers, who often serve as the first responders to individuals experiencing psychological distress. Research indicates that 50% of fatal encounters with law enforcement involve individuals with a mental health disorder (Fuller et al., 2015; Kindy & Elliott, 2015). Although the increasing prevalence of mental health- related calls, law enforcement officers frequently lack the specialized training and resources necessary to effectively de-escalate these situations (Cohen & Bagwell, 2023). As a result, interactions between police officers and individuals with mental illness tend to lead to criminalization, unnecessary incarceration, and even fatal outcomes. The introduction of interdisciplinary crisis response models, such as Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs) and police-social worker or mental health professionals' collaborations- has gained attention as potential solutions to bridge the gap between public safety and mental health intervention (Wills et al., 2013). However, limited research has explored law enforcement officers’ perceptions of their preparedness to handle mental health crisis calls, as well as their perspectives on alternative response strategies.

This study seeks to examine the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of law enforcement officers in responding to mental health crisis calls, with a specific focus on their views regarding training adequacy, barriers to effective interventions, and the integration of mental health professionals into crisis response teams. A qualitative research approach will be employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with law enforcement officers across agencies in Riverside County. This study will explore officers' self-perceived preparedness, preferred intervention strategies, and recommendations for improving crisis response protocols. This study does not aim to assume that expanded training or interdisciplinary collaborations are the most effective solutions, their research will remain open-ended, allowing officers to articulate their own insights into what would improve outcomes for both law enforcement and individuals in crisis.

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