ABSTRACT
While mental health-related calls for service may be a relatively small proportion of total calls for service-approximately 7% of all calls*—they are among the most complex and time-consuming. Police encounters with people who have a mental illness who are in crisis can prove to be pivotal events where enhanced linkages to treatment can potentially prevent future serious incidents. Ultimately, focussed attention on improving the police response in
SPR Programme Replication Strategies 5 Statewide Coordination Efforts Defined 7 The Importance of Tailoring SPRs to Communities 7 Statewide Coordination Efforts Structure 11
Lead State-Level Organisations 11 Recruitment Structures 12 Outreach Strategies 13
Maintaining Adherence to SPR Elements 13 Collaboration 14 Training 15 Law Enforcement and Mental Health Agency Policies 15
Sustaining Statewide Coordination Approaches 16 Next Steps for Statewide Efforts 17
these encounters can reduce victimisations and repeat calls for service, thus improving the lives of people with mental illnesses.
