Stakeholder Perspectives on Implementing a Police-Mental Health Collaborative to Improve Pathways to Treatment

High rates of criminal justice involvement among individuals with mental illness have led to collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies and mental health providers to improve crisis responses and pathways to treatment. The development and implementation of these police-mental health collaborations (PMHCs) have received little attention in the literature, but these processes are crucial in understanding feasibility and sustainability. The PMHC discussed here is an interagency effort to identify individuals involved with law enforcement who have unmet behavioral health needs and engage them in services. Perspectives from leaders, service providers, and clients highlight the importance of developing PMHCs that support individuals with serious mental illness at multiple points, from initial crisis to independent management of treatment. In an environment where police responses to individuals with mental health and substance use disorders are increasingly scrutinized, it is critical to highlight and evaluate ways that behavioral health and law enforcement agencies work together to collaboratively address these problems.