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Benefits and Drawbacks of Police Integration Into Assertive Community Treatment Teams
Catherine L Costigan1, Erica M Woodin1, Kari N Duerksen1
1University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia.
Psychiatric Services (Washington, D.C.)
|October 7, 2021
Summary
Integrating police officers into Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams may improve client well-being and safety. The ACT-Police Integration (ACT-PI) model offers benefits like enhanced collaboration but requires careful consideration of potential drawbacks.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health Services Research
- Criminal Justice Integration
- Community Policing Models
Background:
- Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams serve individuals with severe mental illness, who face higher risks of law enforcement involvement.
- The Assertive Community Treatment-Police Integration (ACT-PI) model embeds police officers within ACT teams to address this intersection.
- This study evaluates the ACT-PI model for clients with and without forensic involvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the benefits and drawbacks of integrating police officers into Assertive Community Treatment teams.
- To understand client and staff perspectives on the ACT-PI model.
- To determine the viability of the ACT-PI model in diverse community settings.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 ACT-PI clients and 22 ACT-PI staff.
- Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes regarding officer integration.
- Data were collected in British Columbia in 2017 (clients) and 2018 (staff).
Main Results:
- Perceived benefits included improved client-officer relationships, enhanced safety, better holistic care through interagency collaboration, problem prevention, and increased compliance.
- Perceived drawbacks encompassed risks of legal consequences, client stigma, escalating client distress, limited officer availability, and potential changes to the ACT model's nature.
Conclusions:
- The ACT-PI model has the potential to improve both client and staff well-being.
- With specific precautions and in certain community contexts, ACT-PI may be a feasible model for ACT teams.
- The model can serve clients with or without a history of forensic involvement.
Keywords:
Assertive community treatmentCriminal justice involvementCrisis deescalationPoliceSevere mental illnessMore Related Videos
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