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Mental-health agency offers training to police in Valley
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
About one in 10 calls to which police officers respond involves a mentally disturbed person, and the Mahoning County Mental Health Board wants to make sure area police departments are prepared.
The county board offers crisis-intervention team training annually for police officers.
This year’s 40-hour training session, conducted at the police station at Youngstown State University, occurred this week. YSU Police Lt. Mike Cretella, a member of the mental-health board, is a presenter and was in one of the first groups of officers to undergo the training.
“We have 170 officers trained so far,” said Ronald A. Marian, mental health board executive director.
The training involved 19 officers and emergency 911 supervisors from Austintown, Canfield, Humility of Mary Health Partners, Jackson Township, Mill Creek MetroParks, Milton Township, Springfield Township, New Middletown, Struthers, Youngstown and YSU police departments and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department.
“All paths during the training lead to officer safety and de-escalation of persons with mental illness,” said Michele Petrello of the mental health board.
The board started the training in August 2006. Mental-health workers, law-enforcement personnel, psychiatrists and counselors volunteer.
Training included visits at the Burdman Group Inc., Belmont Pines, the psychiatric ward at HM Health Partners, D&E Counseling and Turning Point Counseling.
In a role-playing exercise, Theresa Swindler, who works in the social work department at YSU, portrayed a woman with bipolar disorder who was in a manic state.
Police are called to the woman’s apartment by a neighbor because of loud music. Two officers try to talk to her as she bounces around the room, cleaning, dialing the phone and rambling.
The officers inquire about any medications she’s taking, ask if she’s under a doctor’s care and try to get her to communicate.
Another scenario involved a suicidal man on the telephone with a 911 supervisor.
After each exercise, Toni Notaro, also of the mental- health board, evaluates how they did, offering suggestions for improvement.
“The board wants police officers to be as well prepared as possible to deal with the large number of individuals they encounter in a crisis situation,” information from the mental health board said.