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As community policing strategies change, new drug sentencing guidelines emerge, and more calls for service involve someone under the influence of a mood-altering substance and/or an untreated mental health diagnosis, it is imperative that law enforcement be equipped with the knowledge to recognize and respond to this population. This requires that we draw on the distinctive expertise and experience of law enforcement, as well as the unique resources and insights of the community in which it serves. On calls for service, if you encounter someone who is or has experiences with drug or alcohol issues, there’s a good chance that a mental health condition is present as well. In fact, the 2014 National Survey of Drug Use and Health estimates that one-third of people experiencing substance abuse issues also suffer from a mental illness. In the mental health field, the relationship between mental illness and substance use is often referred to as “co-occurring disorder” or “dual diagnosis,” and a growing body of evidence supports a strong connection between the two. Although pinpointing the exact link between substance use and mental illness is difficult, we do know that substance abuse and many mental illnesses are tied to similar centers of the brain. For example, depression depletes certain neurotransmitters, while alcohol energizes the same system, offering temporary relief from depression’s symptoms. As symptoms re-emerge, individuals experiencing depression will often self-medicate with alcohol, leading to a vicious cycle of substance use. When law enforcement expertise is at the front end of the criminal justice engagement (Intercept 0 and 1) it puts individuals in a position to be diverted to the model of services to best meet their needs, remove barriers to services, and decrease instances where the jail becomes a holding facility for undiagnosed or untreated mental health and substance use related issues and reduce jail liability. During this session, we will discuss the collaborative approach to addressing substance use and mental health disorders through the lens of a patrol office equipped with knowledge on how to navigate systems and reduce agency liabilities through collaborative approaches.

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