Check Out the CSG Justice Center and IADLEST Report on Mental Health and Crisis De-Escalation Law Enforcement Training in the United States

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) have released the report, The Variability in Law Enforcement State Standards: A 42-State Survey on Mental Health and Crisis De-escalation Training. The interactions of law enforcement with people who have a mental illness or who are in a crisis have become of increasing concern to society. This report examines the variability across states regarding their standards for mental health and crisis de-escalation training for law enforcement officers.

In August 2016, the CSG Justice Center and IADLEST, with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, sent a survey to all Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) entities and other state law enforcement training authorities to gather information on the standards used by states and U.S. territories for police training on de-escalation and responding to people with mental illnesses. This report breaks down the survey results, received from 42 states and one territory, into aggregate data that includes whether states have training standards, how they are developed or modified, and their characteristics; the challenges and promising approaches shared by survey respondents; and key takeaways.

To read the full report and view the survey data, please click here.