Frontline Police Officers Trained to Identify and Handle Persons with Mental Health Challenges

Debated in Parliament on 2 Mar 2023.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Leon Perera questioned the number of frontline police officers trained to handle persons with mental health challenges, the indicators used to measure training effectiveness, the frequency of refresher courses, and whether Standard Operating Procedures are based on diagnostic guidelines like DSM-5.
K Shanmugam stated that over 3,000 officers have undergone mental health awareness training with assessments to evaluate their competencies.
He clarified that Standard Operating Procedures do not include diagnostic guidelines, as officers are not trained to diagnose but to identify signs and refer individuals, such as those with suicidal tendencies, to professional teams like the Institute of Mental Health’s crisis response.

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Full Transcript

Leon Perera

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of frontline Police officers trained to identify and handle persons with mental health challenges; (b) what are the indicators used to measure the effectiveness of such training; (c) whether refresher courses are regularly conducted; and (d) whether the internal Standard Operating Procedures guiding officers to deal with such persons are based on internationally recognised diagnostic guidelines, such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

K Shanmugam

Frontline Police officers are trained to manage different situations, including how to identify and handle persons with mental health conditions. More than 3,000 of them have also benefited from the mental health awareness course offered by the Agency for Integrated Care. They undergo assessments and/or discussions to evaluate their competencies.

The Police's internal Standard Operating Procedures do not contain diagnostic guidelines. Frontline Police officers are not trained nor expected to make any formal diagnosis of mental health conditions. Instead, they look out for signs of mental health conditions and may then consult or refer individuals with suicidal tendencies to the Institute of Mental Health's crisis response team for professional assessment.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Leon Perera questioned the number of frontline police officers trained to handle persons with mental health challenges, the indicators used to measure training effectiveness, the frequency of refresher courses, and whether Standard Operating Procedures are based on diagnostic guidelines like DSM-5.
K Shanmugam stated that over 3,000 officers have undergone mental health awareness training with assessments to evaluate their competencies.
He clarified that Standard Operating Procedures do not include diagnostic guidelines, as officers are not trained to diagnose but to identify signs and refer individuals, such as those with suicidal tendencies, to professional teams like the Institute of Mental Health’s crisis response.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Frontline Police Officers Trained to Identify and Handle Persons with Mental Health Challenges

Debated in Parliament on 2 Mar 2023.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Leon Perera questioned the number of frontline police officers trained to handle persons with mental health challenges, the indicators used to measure training effectiveness, the frequency of refresher courses, and whether Standard Operating Procedures are based on diagnostic guidelines like DSM-5.
K Shanmugam stated that over 3,000 officers have undergone mental health awareness training with assessments to evaluate their competencies.
He clarified that Standard Operating Procedures do not include diagnostic guidelines, as officers are not trained to diagnose but to identify signs and refer individuals, such as those with suicidal tendencies, to professional teams like the Institute of Mental Health’s crisis response.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Leon Perera

K Shanmugam

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Leon Perera questioned the number of frontline police officers trained to handle persons with mental health challenges, the indicators used to measure training effectiveness, the frequency of refresher courses, and whether Standard Operating Procedures are based on diagnostic guidelines like DSM-5.
K Shanmugam stated that over 3,000 officers have undergone mental health awareness training with assessments to evaluate their competencies.
He clarified that Standard Operating Procedures do not include diagnostic guidelines, as officers are not trained to diagnose but to identify signs and refer individuals, such as those with suicidal tendencies, to professional teams like the Institute of Mental Health’s crisis response.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Frontline Police Officers Trained to Identify and Handle Persons with Mental Health Challenges | PAPERCUTS

Frontline Police Officers Trained to Identify and Handle Persons with Mental Health Challenges

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Leon Perera

K Shanmugam

Summary

Questions Identified

Frontline Police Officers Trained to Identify and Handle Persons with Mental Health Challenges

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Leon Perera

K Shanmugam

Summary

Questions Identified