Citation

Khalsa HK, Denes AC, Pasini-Hill DM, Santelli JC, Baldessarini RJ. Psychiatr. Serv. 2018; 69(2): 239-241.

Affiliation

Ms. Khalsa is with Psychotic Disorders Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, and the Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School, Coventry, United Kingdom. Mr. Denes and Mr. Santelli are with the Crisis Intervention Teams Association of Colorado, Inc., Castle Rock. Ms. Pasini-Hill is with the Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public Safety, Denver. Dr. Baldessarini is with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University, Boston.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

10.1176/appi.ps.201700055

PMID

29089008

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the implementation of crisis intervention teams by law enforcement agencies in Colorado.

METHODS: Rates of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) use, arrests, use of force, and injuries were assessed during 6,353 incidents involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Relationships among original complaint, psychiatric illness, substance abuse, violence risk, and disposition of crisis calls were analyzed.

RESULTS: Rates of SWAT use (<1%), injuries (<1%), arrests (<5%), and use of force (<5%) were low. The relative risk of transfer to treatment (versus no transfer) was significantly higher for incidents involving psychiatric illness, suicide threat or attempt, weapons, substance abuse, and violence potential.

CONCLUSIONS: Use of force or SWAT, arrests, and injuries were infrequent. Suicide risk, psychiatric illness and substance abuse, even in the presence of a weapon or violence threat, increased the odds of transfer to treatment, whereas suicide risk lowered the odds of transfer to jail.

Language: en

Keywords

CIT; Crisis intervention teams; Jail diversion; Memphis model