By SUSAN E. WHITE
The Virginian-Pilot
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Many of Virginia Beach’s police officers may soon be certified to recognize the signs of mental illness and how best to respond to emergency situations involving the mentally ill.
That’s the hope if the city is awarded a $150,000 grant from Virginia’s Department of Criminal Justice Services. The grant would be used to set up a Crisis Intervention Team, which would focus on keeping sick inmates out of the criminal justice system, said Alexis Zoss, director for the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Division of the city’s Department of Human Services.
Between 25 and 30 percent of the Beach’s police force would be targeted for the training, she said. The Beach’s program would be modeled after one in Memphis, Tenn., which established one of the country’s first crisis teams. Other states now have similar programs.
The teams ensure that people with mental health problems get appropriate help during crisis moments, while also maintaining the safety of law enforcement officers and the public.
Part of the training focuses on asking specific questions to determine if someone needs mental health assistance and then working with local agencies, such as Human Services, to ensure residents get that help, Zoss said. The goal is to do what’s necessary, but reasonable, to keep someone from the prison system, where many mentally ill adults end up while waiting for appropriate services.
In Virginia, mentally ill inmates now must wait eight months, on average, to be admitted to Eastern State Hospital.
Nearly 170 of the 1,500 inmates at the Virginia Beach jail are taking psychotropic medications for mental health issues, Zoss said. Another 100 inmates have been identified as having mental health problems but refuse to take medication, she said. If a Crisis Intervention Team is established, city and mental health officials hope to eventually open a drop-off site so that officers would have an alternative site for non violent, mentally ill offenders rather than placing them in jail.
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