City Council Meeting Mental Illnesses

Produced by:

KBOO

Program::

Air date:

Thu, 04/08/2010 - 12:00am

City Council Meeting Mental Illnesses

Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer, Commissioner Dan Saltzman, and Commissioner Amanda Fritz held a press conference this afternoon, to address people with mental illnesses and the Portland Police Bureau’s interaction with them.

Sizer noted that the Police Bureau have issued crisis intervention training, or C-I-T, for every police officer during the past year and a half.

This Crisis Intervention Team is a partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Behavioral Health Division, the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill, or “NAMI,” and O-H-S-U memebers. The team seeks to provide better services and conflict prevention with police officers.

Sizer also mentioned a new program that’s being implemented, in which the police department works with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. They’ll gather information in an attempt to decrease police conflict with the mentally ill.

The collaboration is called “Project Respond” and it’s being tested with one patrol officer and one respresentative riding together in a patrol car.

Commissioner Saltzman pointed out an advisory council outlined in the new plan.

It consists of community members, consumers, and mental health professionals. They will oversee “Project Respond,” and provide feedback to help with future training and practices.

KBOO asked Saltzman and Sizer if the new action plan is a response to the negative community response to the level of police force displayed in recent weeks.

That was City Commissioner Dan Saltzman and Police Chief Rosie Sizer speaking at city hall today.

The Portland Police Bureau is sponsoring a charity walk with the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill. That will be held on Sunday, May Twenty-Third at one P-M at the Eastbank Esplanade Festival Area.