rantingredneck
Member
I'll probably end up taking the long way round the barn to get to my point here but bear with me. If mods feel like this belongs better in General or doesn't belong here at all feel free to do as may be needed.
I've spent the better part of my professional life working in "mental health". I put that in quotes because it's a very broad statement that doesn't really capture what it is I do. Rehabilitation is a better word, but confusing since most of the folks I work with do not have substance abuse issues. Some do, most do not. So "mental health" captures, but then doesn't what it is that I do.
So as a mental health professional, I am at times called upon to work with law enforcement. Recently I was called upon to assist with/evaluate Crisis Intervention training for a group of local LEO's. Some were county deputies, some were city police, some were university police. The group spanned from 30 to........well..........seasoned.....
The training is geared toward helping LEO identify individuals with mental illness and respond in such a way as to deescalate the situation to avoid physical contact/less lethal/lethal force. As part of the training two groups paid a visit to my facility on Thursday and met with some folks that we serve. They got a chance to ask questions and interact with individuals who have specific disabilities that they may come in contact with in their role as LEOs. This program culmonated in a test this past Friday where some of us mental health folks were actors in role play scenarios and some (like me) were evaluators of the officer's responses.
One of my first observations to the group was that what they were training to do this past week in some ways goes counter to previous training. They were being asked to not be "the authority" at some times. They were being asked to negotiate an outcome for a person who may simply need some help. They were being asked to be part time social workers basically.
Most officers did quite well with the scenarios. Especially the older guys. A couple of the younger guys/gals had to take a do-over after receiving some constructive criticism. One of the younger guys went from 0 to Tazer in less than 25 seconds.....:banghead:
I should also mention that it was not just me and other mental health folks evaluating, but also senior LEO's who'd been through similar, or the same, program(s).
I digress.
One of the older guys near the end of the day on Friday made a great observation and it can apply to any of us, LEO or not, at any time that we may find ourselves in conflict that may (but has not yet) escalate(d) to violence. He said and I paraphrase (I wish I could remember his exact words but this is close):
......What I have learned here is that if I can just shelve the ego for a bit and communicate, the situation can be resolved without force.......
So the next time you find yourself at odds with someone, whether in public, in your home, or on the interwebz check your ego first. Is that what got you here? Can shelving it get you out?
I've spent the better part of my professional life working in "mental health". I put that in quotes because it's a very broad statement that doesn't really capture what it is I do. Rehabilitation is a better word, but confusing since most of the folks I work with do not have substance abuse issues. Some do, most do not. So "mental health" captures, but then doesn't what it is that I do.
So as a mental health professional, I am at times called upon to work with law enforcement. Recently I was called upon to assist with/evaluate Crisis Intervention training for a group of local LEO's. Some were county deputies, some were city police, some were university police. The group spanned from 30 to........well..........seasoned.....
The training is geared toward helping LEO identify individuals with mental illness and respond in such a way as to deescalate the situation to avoid physical contact/less lethal/lethal force. As part of the training two groups paid a visit to my facility on Thursday and met with some folks that we serve. They got a chance to ask questions and interact with individuals who have specific disabilities that they may come in contact with in their role as LEOs. This program culmonated in a test this past Friday where some of us mental health folks were actors in role play scenarios and some (like me) were evaluators of the officer's responses.
One of my first observations to the group was that what they were training to do this past week in some ways goes counter to previous training. They were being asked to not be "the authority" at some times. They were being asked to negotiate an outcome for a person who may simply need some help. They were being asked to be part time social workers basically.
Most officers did quite well with the scenarios. Especially the older guys. A couple of the younger guys/gals had to take a do-over after receiving some constructive criticism. One of the younger guys went from 0 to Tazer in less than 25 seconds.....:banghead:
I should also mention that it was not just me and other mental health folks evaluating, but also senior LEO's who'd been through similar, or the same, program(s).
I digress.
One of the older guys near the end of the day on Friday made a great observation and it can apply to any of us, LEO or not, at any time that we may find ourselves in conflict that may (but has not yet) escalate(d) to violence. He said and I paraphrase (I wish I could remember his exact words but this is close):
......What I have learned here is that if I can just shelve the ego for a bit and communicate, the situation can be resolved without force.......
So the next time you find yourself at odds with someone, whether in public, in your home, or on the interwebz check your ego first. Is that what got you here? Can shelving it get you out?