An ongoing concern of today's law enforcement agencies is how to manage officers' increasingly frequent contact with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis and how to do so safely, effectively, and with compassion. To identify best practices, the COPS [Community Oriented Policing Services] Office provided funding to the Park Ridge (Illinois) Police Department to pilot a whole-community approach to mental health that extends efforts beyond crisis intervention team training. Together with a team comprising community stakeholders and members of the regional healthcare system, the department worked to expand community engagement and streamline responses to mental health crisis by identifying effective new strategies. This case study tells Park Ridge's story, highlighting lessons learned, sharing promising practices, and identifying opportunities for further exploration and collaboration.
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