Its major goals are to establish appropriate program linkages between the law enforcement and mental health systems in New York State and to provide police officers with training which will facilitate their safe handling of calls or incidents involving persons who are emotionally disturbed. The training program is designed to enable police officers to identify the indicators of emotional disturbance, to understand the causes of emotional disturbance, to appreciate the experience of mental illness, to utilize the NYS Mental Hygiene Law, to make effective assessments and interventions, and to appropriately document their actions.
Role play is used extensively as a learning tool.
New York State Police, New York City Police Academy, United States Secret Service, New York City Police Department, Emergency Services Unit, the Albany, Binghamton, Nassau County, Fulton, Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester Police Departments, Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department, the New York City, Westchester County and Nassau County Departments of Mental Health. This curriculum has been incorporated into the BCPO throughout New York State. The manual includes a set of transparencies, print materials for distribution, as well as an Instructor Role Play Guide . A set of two training videotapes which accompany the Trainer's Manual. Videotape content includes an introduction designed to capture the trainees' attention through a collage of shocking real life police-mental health crisis situations followed by more traditional segments which interact with the Trainer's Manual content to assist trainees in identifying emotionally disturbed persons, developing empathy for the mentally ill person and his family, identifying and responding to a suicidal detainee and documenting situations.