HomeMy WebLinkAboutGO 21-02 Crisis InterventionADM-08.1
Crisis Intervention
Date of Issue General Order Number
December 6, 2021 21-02
Effective Date Section Code
December 6, 2021
Reevaluation Date Amends / Cancels
December 2024
I. PURPOSE
This policy provides guidelines for interacting with those who may be experiencing a me
ntal health or emotional crisis. Interaction with such individuals has the potential for misc
ommunication and violence. It often requires an officer to make difficult judgments about
a person’s mental state and intent in order to effectively and legally interact with the indiv
idual.
II. POLICY
The Iowa City Police Department is committed to providing a consistently high level of
service to all members of the community and recognizes that persons in crisis may bene
fit from intervention. The Department will collaborate, where feasible, with mental health
professionals to develop an overall intervention strategy to guide its members’
interactions with those experiencing a mental health crisis. This is to ensure equitable
and safe treatment of all involved.
III. DEFINITIONS
Crisis Intervention: Emergency response to mental, emotional, and behavioral
distress. Signs or symptoms may include:
Loss of memory/disorientation
ADM-08.2
Delusions-false beliefs not based on reality. The individual will often focus
on persecution or feelings of grandeur.
Depression
Hallucinations-hearing voices, seeing, smelling, tasting, or feeling things.
Manic behavior-accelerated thinking and speaking or hyperactivity with no
or little need for sleep.
Anxiety-feeling of intense panic or fright.
Incoherence-difficulty expressing oneself or disconnected from ideas and
thoughts.
An episode in which a person creates significant or repeated disruptive
disturbances and may be at risk of harm to themselves or others.
Events in which a person is not able to use their cognitive and emotional
capabilities, function in society or meet ordinary demands of everyday life.
While in this condition individuals may not be able to control their thoughts,
feelings, or actions. This may be permanent or temporary due to failure to
take required medication, alcohol and/or drug abuse, or a traumatic event.
Suicidal Subjects
LE Liaison: For purposes of this policy LE Liaison shall mean the Foundation
2/CommUnity Contract Crisis Counselor assigned to the Iowa City Police Department
or a member of the CommUnity Mobile Crisis Unit.
IV. GUIDELINES
A. Safety of the individual, responding public safety personnel, and the community is the
priority.
B. Officers will attempt to de-escalate the situation when safe and feasible. Preference
is to stabilize in place, refer for treatment and avoid incarceration.
C. Officers will utilize the on-duty Law Enforcement Liaison if available. The Liaison will
normally work 10 am to 6pm. Officers are encouraged to utilize Mobile Crisis when
appropriate.
D. Officers will defer to the LE Liaison on scene regarding stabilization of individuals and
whether the individual poses an immediate danger to themselves or others requiring
emergency commitment. The officer on scene has final authority to direct activities
relating to the safety of responding officers, the LE Liaison and the public.
E. Follow up with individuals will be the responsibility of the LE Liaison as deemed
necessary based on their experience. It is the responsibility of the LE Liaison to
determine whether they should be accompanied by a uniformed officer for follow up
interactions. At a minimum they will notify the JECC of their arrival and departure from
the location where the follow up is being conducted.
ADM-08.3
V. PROCEDURES
A. Initial Response
1. If the LE Liaison is available and it is safe and feasible, officers and the LE Liaison
should respond together.
2. Any call involving an immediate threat to life, or which creates an imminent risk
to public safety, shall be promptly addressed by on-duty personnel regardless of
whether a LE Liaison is available to respond or not.
a. While enroute to the call, officers will ascertain if the LE Liaison is available
and, if so, ask JECC to dispatch them to the call as well.
b. If the LE Liaison is not available, officers will respond as trained.
B. Assessment
1. The LE Liaison, or officers in the LE Liaison’s absence, will evaluate the individual
to determine their ability to care for themselves and to determine if the individual
poses a threat to themselves or others. This assessment can be based upon the
individual’s words or actions. The presence of a trusted family member,
acquaintance, or professional care giver should be considered as a mitigating
factor.
C. Community Care Taking Involuntary Committal
1. Iowa code 229.22 states “A peace officer who has reasonable grounds to believe
that a person is mentally ill, and because of that illness is likely to physically injure
themselves or others if not immediately detained, may without a warrant take or
cause that person to be taken to the nearest available medical facility”.
a. An individual who is taken to a medical facility for an involuntary
psychological evaluation will be transported via squad car or ambulance
and not by the LE Liaison.
b. Upon arrival at the hospital, officers and/or the LE Liaison will describe the
circumstances to the attending physician and will wait at the hospital until
released by medical staff.
D. Voluntary Committal
1. If the individual does not pose a threat of harm to themselves or others, and
no probable cause for an arrest is present, officers or the LE Liaison will
make reasonable efforts to ensure the person’s immediate safety needs are met.
This could include referral to the Guide Link Center, homeless shelter, facilitating
contact with a counselor, family member or other responsible person.
2. An individual who is taken to a medical or treatment facility on a voluntary basis
for evaluation or treatment will be transported via squad car, ambulance or by the
ADM-08.4
mental health liaison in their assigned work vehicle and in accordance with the
operating procedures set forth by their employer.
E. Arrest
1. If officers determine an individual in mental health/behavioral crisis warrants
criminal charges a physical arrest should only be used as a last resort.
2. Officers should consider an alternative to immediate incarceration to include
requesting an arrest warrant at a later date.
F. Reports
1. LE liaisons are not authorized to query or view personal identifiable information
contained in NCIC reports. When relevant, Records Department staff will forward
redacted copies of reports, detailing interactions with mentally ill individuals, to the
LE Liaison for possible follow up.
2. If an officer generates an incident report, the LE Liaison’s involvement will be
documented in the narrative portion of the report. LE Liaison’s will generate their
own reports, following HIPPA protocols, and these will not be attached to, shared
with, or made part of any ICPD records or files. The purpose of documenting the
existence of other reports will aid in the discovery process should it be necessary.
_____________________________________
Dustin Liston, Chief of Police
WARNING
This directive is for departmental use only and does not apply in any criminal or civil
proceeding. The department policy should not be construed as a creation of a higher
legal standard of safety or care in an evidentiary sense with respect to third-party claims.
Violations of this directive will only form the basis for departmental administrative
sanctions.