Could mental health professionals replace police on emergency calls?
In short: When a crisis occurs, the first responder often dictates the outcome. This talk explores a research-backed shift toward deploying mental health professionals instead of traditional law enforcement to de-escalate emergencies.
Colorado State Representative Leslie Herod argues for a system that prioritizes humanity over criminal justice. By sending mental health workers to scenes, the goal is to prevent crises from escalating into traumatic or deadly events, moving away from a model of fines and arrests.
The approach is rooted in research designed to bring a different type of expertise to emergency response. It suggests that addressing the underlying psychological needs of a person in crisis can be more effective than traditional policing for non-criminal incidents.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: What if mental health workers responded to emergency calls? | Leslie Herod
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