Developing Community Co-designed Scenario-Based Training for Police Mental Health Crisis Response: a Relational Policing Approach to De-escalation

Abstract

Using the current empirical landscape of police responses to people in mental health crisis as a backdrop, this methods paper makes an argument for the central role of collaborative co-design and production by diverse community experts and stakeholders to build transformative specialized training for frontline officers. Subject matter experts (SMEs) from across key domains participated in focus groups and curriculum creation, with outputs being the co-development of a conceptual approach and an innovative experiential learning training program. Part 1 unpacks the team’s conceptual development of a relational policing approach. This humanized method is shaped by procedural justice, trauma-informed, person-centred, and cultural safety frameworks. Part 2 details the co-production of a novel problem-based training method for a police service in Southern Ontario, Canada. The program centres on the acquisition of core competencies related to relational policing, de-escalation, and mental health crisis response. The training was designed to bring learners through a spectrum of authentic crisis scenarios: from observer-participant scenarios informed by Forum Theatre methods and targeted SME feedback to a range of high-fidelity assessment simulations that test officers’ abilities to effectively communicate, de-escalate, and make decisions under stress. This program offers repeated opportunities for officers to practice alternative crisis management strategies in scenarios that might otherwise result in the use of force.

Police shootings, violent crime, race and socio‐economic factors in municipalities in the United States of America

“…Chronically mentally ill individuals may struggle to comply with police requests, be frightened by police and, in turn, frighten attending officers, increasing the likelihood of shootings. Several studies have emphasised the need for police training for de‐escalation and improved community‐based mental health services to improve police interactions with individuals diagnosed with mental health disorders (Lavoie et al., 2023; Watson et al., 2019). However, despite the increase in police training and community outreach efforts and the various models available, the question is about how well they are implemented in any given community.…”

Sustainable Development of Emergency Response Ability of Novice Policemen—An Empirical Study Based on Case-Based Instruction

“…Some scholars developed the imagination training system for fire emergency rescue to improve the emergency response ability [23]. Lavoie et al (2022) discussed problem-oriented training for police emergency response ability based on the police system of a province in Canada [24].…”

Legitimacy-Based Policing and the Promotion of Community Vitality

“…The best approach may be to shift funding to nonpolice responses. This approach can be contrasted with a joint response model that, whatever its benefits, raises costs by requiring a police officer and a social service worker to be present at every response (see Lavoie, Alvarez, & Kandil, 2022).…”