Mental Health & Policing – the Present and Future

news by staff

People with mental health issues are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and street level police are often the first point of contact. Although we’ve made some strides to respond to mental health issues with treatment in lieu of criminalization (e.g., Crisis Intervention Training for officers –  “CIT”, mental health courts, co-responder models, mobile crisis, the Chicago CARES team, etc.), we still have a *long* way to go. From a state policymaker perspective, Representative LaPointe will outline where we are and where we are headed on the journey to enact alternatives to 911 for Illinoisans experiencing mental health crises.

Background of Issue:

  • Over representation of people with mental illness  in criminal justice system
    • About 2 in 5 people who are incarcerated have a history of mental illness, resulting in jails and prisons becoming de-facto mental health facilities.
    • People with an autism spectrum disorder are seven times more likely to encounter police than “neurotypical” individuals, or those without developmental disabilities, according to autism experts. Depending on the severity of their disorder, people on the autism spectrum can react inappropriately to police and have trouble following commands.
  • Recent examples from the news
    • Misplaced call to police (letter to the Tribune HERE – 2024)
    • Sonya Massey – Woman with severe mental illness in Springfield, shot by Sangamon County Sheriff in her home (WBEZ – October 2024)
    • Stephon Watts – Teen with autism shot by Calumet City Police (Tribune – Dec 2018).
  • Policies and programs for treatment vs. criminalization
    • Law enforcement training (Crisis Intervention Training, autism training)
      • Due to state law, all officers complete mandatory training on CIT in the academy, per a recent law. The more comprehensive 40 hour training is voluntary for officers, however.
      • CPD mandates the 40 hour training for FTOs, Sgts. and Lts.
      • About 39% of all CPD are either certified or trained, ILETSB reports 50% of all officers in Illinois have completed the 40 hour training (certification).
  • As of January 2027, the academy will provide training on autism, per a law passed in the spring of 2024 (SB3201).
  • Mental health courts
    • The Chief Judge of each judicial circuit may establish a mental health court program, including the format under which it operates under this Act.
    • There are 30 Mental Health Courts in Illinois certified by the IL Supreme Court, 7 in Cook Count. 20 of the 25 Judicial Circuits have Mental Health Courts.
  • Treatment/medication in jail/prison, etc.,
    • Only 3 in 5 people (63%) with a history of mental illness receive mental health treatment while incarcerated in state and federal prisons, and less than half of people (45%) with a history of mental illness receive mental health treatment while held in local jails. Both adequate services and staff are needed, in addition to appropriate identification of detainees and inmates.

Alternatives to traditional 911/policing:

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the three pronged “system”.
    • Someone to call, someone to come, and a place to go (not jail, not a hospital).
  • Mobile crisis response (MCR) – “someone to come”
    • Lutheran Social Services of Illinois in our area. FAQs HERE, Mobile Crisis Team HERE.
      • “In our service area, whether you call our local mobile crisis line or 988, you’ll be connected to a trained crisis counselor who can help assess the situation, offer support, connect you to additional community resources if needed, and guide next steps. If needed or wanted, we can send a mobile team—typically a licensed counselor and a peer support specialist—to meet you wherever you are: at home, work, school, or any safe community location. Response time to be on-site is 30-60 minutes. MCR serves kids to older adults, 24/7, with counselors who speak Spanish, Polish, and many other languages. There are no requirements like insurance, ID, or citizenship status. The only thing needed is that the person in crisis is willing to talk with us.”
        • “In over 90% of cases, we’re able to de-escalate the situation without needing hospitalization. But if a hospital visit is determined (with your input) to be the next step, our team will support you and your loved ones every step of the way—helping you understand your options, advocate for your needs, and feel less alone in the process.
        • If calling 911 is necessary, let the operator know it’s a mental health crisis. You can request that responders arrive without lights and sirens if you think they may cause additional distress. You can always request a CIT trained officer via 911.
  • Co-responder models
  • CARES Team in Chicago – In some police districts, M-F 10.30am to 4pm, NOT in the 16th District. Includes Crisis Clinician, EMT, outreach supplies, vehicle maintenance, and a portion of our 2 supervisors, our 2 case management team staff, and overhead costs.
    • $4M annually to maintain current services including teams in 6 districts, city-wide team, 10AM-4PM, M-F
    • $7M annually to expand to evenings and weekends in all 6 districts, including coverage for 6 teams, city-wide team
    • An estimated $650K to add a new CARE team in a district without a team

Implementation & funding – we are not there yet.

What can YOU do?

  • Know the alternatives to 911 in your community today (on the far NWside, it’s LSSI) today. Educate others.
  • Educate yourself and others on the next steps and advocate for more progress on alternatives to a 911 response.
  • Ask questions and share concerns about what we have today and what we are planning for the future.