Victoria Police undergo new mandatory mental health training
A new mental health training program to help Victoria Police, PSOs and custody officers respond to people in crisis, will be rolled out across the state this month.
VIC News
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Police will have new mandatory mental health training to improve their response to people in crisis.
The two-day program will be rolled out to frontline officers across the state this month.
Protective Service officers and police custody officers will also receive the training.
A key focus of the program is looking at ways police can help mentally unwell people rather than sending them to hospital.
The training will give police greater insight into the state of mind of someone in crisis and highlight a range of de-escalation tactics and mental health services.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Lauren Callaway said the training was crucial for frontline police, who responded to a mental health incident every 12 minutes.
“The program has been designed to equip frontline police with specialised communication techniques to effectively address the needs of people experiencing mental health issues who come into contact with police,” she said.
The program, Police Responding in Mental Health Events, will prioritise police in regional areas because of their reduced access to specialist support resources.
It will be conducted by a mental health clinician and police officer and involve demonstrations, simulations and problem-based learning.
One demonstration involves a person being aggressive and swearing at police.
The simulation teaches police how to communicate and build a rapport with someone in crisis.
The training will also highlight on-call mental health services available to counsel police in such scenarios.
The majority of mental health incidents attended by police are welfare related and violence is considered rare.
The training will examine the effects of stigma, bias and stereotyping related to mental health.
Police minister Lisa Neville said it will help police respond to incidents with “diligence and empathy”.
“We know our police face extremely challenging situations every day responding to incidents in the community — this kind of important work means they’re able to think dynamically to assist vulnerable Victorians and maintain safety.”
The program, funded in the 2017/18 state budget, was piloted in Mernda, Shepparton, Moorabbin, Ballarat, and Melbourne East last year.
Constable Natasha Leigh, based in Heidelberg, was part of the pilot and uses the training skills daily.
“It has helped in how we communicate with people in crisis, defuse a situation, work out what is going on and see the whole picture,” she said.
“Sometimes it can be resolved then and there or we can put in referrals (for mental health services) or get a clinician on the spot.”
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