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How the Police Can Help

If a person is acting irrationally due to their mental state and there is an immediate threat of danger to self or someone else, call 911 and inform the dispatcher that you’re calling about a person who’s experiencing a mental health crisis.

 

Calling 9-1-1

When you call 911, try to remain calm. Speak clearly; do not shout. The 911 operator will ask for the following important information:

  • Your name and address
  • Location of the incident
  • Name of the person in crisis
  • Your relationship to the person in crisis
  • A description of the person in crisis
  • Information on the person’s mental illness
  • The person’s diagnosis if known
  • Medications the person takes
  • If the person has stopped taking his/her medication
  • If the person is violent
  • Any history of violence
  • If there are any weapons at the location
  • What the person is doing, saying, and/or experiencing
  • Use of any illegal and non-illegal substance(s)

When Police Arrives:

  • If indoors, turn on all lights in the house so everyone can be clearly seen
  • Do not have anything in your hands when you meet the officer(s)
  • Walk, do not run, toward the officers
  • Remain at a distance of about 30 feet to secure the safety of yourself and the officer(s)
  • Calmly identify yourself
  • Calmly offer information you think might be helpful (anyone currently in the home, reason for the call, if the person has fled, etc.)
  • Be clear and concise
  • Follow any instructions the officer(s) provide
 

If a person is having a mental health crisis and police are called to the scene, officers may take the person into custody if their behavior indicates severe emotional distress or deterioration of a mental condition and they believe the person presents a substantial risk of serious harm to self or others.

This is called an Apprehension by Peace Officer Without Warrant (APOWW). The officer will transport the individual to a mental health facility or the nearest hospital that provides mental health services. In some instances, the person in crisis may be detained or arrested.

What Happens Next

After an APOWW has occurred, police officers may file an application for detention, documenting the signs of mental illness and elements of risk observed. If the individual made any verbal or physical threats, behaved irrationally or dangerously, or attempted to harm himself or others, the police officer will include those details, as well as the names of persons who reported or observed the behaviors.

Another Option: Mental Health Probate Court

In the state of Texas, a person over the age of 18 must voluntarily agree to receive mental health services. If an adult over the age of 18 does not want treatment or refuses, they cannot be forced. Being taken to an emergency room or a behavioral health hospital for an emergency evaluation is meant to help stabilize the individual and then they will be discharged (usually within 1-3 days) and provided with mental health resources in their community for long-term care.

If your loved one is over the age of 18 and you believe that court-mandated mental health services are necessary, you can seek a Mental Health/Chemical Dependency Warrant through a County Mental Health Probate Court. Most counties and cities have additional information listed on the county website.

Dallas County | Collin County | Denton County | Tarrant County

Proactive Planning

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) encourages families of individuals with mental illness to put a plan in place that will help to avoid the types of crisis events that can lead to an arrest. For instance, individuals might contact a peer program, call a crisis line, attend a group session, schedule a doctor’s appointment or take some other proactive action that has helped in the past.

Every time a crisis is prevented through proactive intervention and assistance, it reduces the likelihood of contact with law enforcement or a potential arrest.

NAMI’s Family-to-Family course includes a “Crisis File” that can help you prepare for mental health emergencies.

If an assault occurs, most jurisdictions require officers to arrest an individual, in compliance with family violence laws. However, many law enforcement agencies attempt to decrease the odds of crisis situations leading to arrests by providing staff with Crisis Intervention Training (CIT).

Texas peace officers are required to complete Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and most agencies across the state have a CIT-trained officer on duty. Contact your local police department to learn what resources are available for mental health crisis intervention.

Source: NAMI North Texas

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