Mental Health
NSW Police Force Mental Health Intervention Team
The Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) commenced as a two year pilot program in July, 2007 under the command of Superintendent David Donohue. The MHIT project was carried out on behalf of the Commissioner’s Executive Team with sponsorship provided by Deputy Commissioner David Owens. As a result of a study of best practices across the world, the MHIT formed its basis on the Crisis Intervention Team concept which bears its origin in Memphis, USA. The Memphis Crisis Intervention Team model was modified to meet the needs and operating environment of the NSW Police Force and a partnership was formed with key stakeholders such as NSW Health and other agencies in order to achieve its objectives. NSW Health supported the pilot program by funding the secondment of a senior mental health clinician to provide advice on the overall program design, content expertise with regards to the development of an MHIT training package for frontline police and to provide organisational linkage between the MHIT and the health setting service providers. Charles Sturt University was engaged by the NSWPF to independently evaluate the MHIT, through its Centre for Inland Health, the school of Policing Studies and the Australian Graduate School of Policing.
The aims of the pilot program included:
- Reducing the risk of injury to police and mental health consumers when dealing with mental health related incidents;
- Improving awareness amongst front line police of the risks involved in the interaction between police and mental health consumers;
- Improved collaboration with other government and non-government agencies in the response to, and management of, mental health crisis incidents, and;
- Reducing the time taken by police in the handover of mental health consumers into the health care system.
In consultation with various mental health experts, an intensive four day MHIT education package was developed which included the delivery of specialised mental health training to manage those experiencing a mental health emergency event. The package seeks to educate police with respect to identifying behaviors in the field indicative of mental illness, and provide them with tools such as communication strategies, risk assessment, de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques, and to gain an understanding of the current Mental Health Act 2007, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding between the NSWPF, Ambulance Service and Department of Health.
Between February 2008 and March 2009 the training package was delivered to forty officers from each of three trial Local Area Commands at Eastern Beaches, Penrith and Tuggerah Lakes. The police that completed the four day education package were accredited as specialist Mental Health Intervention Officers and can be clearly identified by the wearing of a distinct MHIT Badge worn above their name plate.
Following the success of the pilot program and positive outcomes from the ongoing independent evaluation of the MHIT by Charles Sturt University, the Commissioner’s Executive Team endorsed the formation of the MHIT as a permanent component of the NSW Police Force Policy and Programs Command as of the 1st of July, 2009. The MHIT and newly appointed Commander Inspector Joel Murchie have now been set a target of delivering the four day mental health training package to a minimum of 10 percent of all frontline officers over the next five years. This equates to approximately 300 officers per year undertaking the training and becoming accredited as specialist Mental Health Intervention officers. NSW Health will continue to support the MHIT by funding the mental health clinician position for a further three years.
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