@article{ref1,
title="Specialized police-based mental health crisis response: the first 10 years of Colorado's crisis intervention team implementation",
journal="Psychiatric services",
year="2018",
author="Khalsa, Hari-Mandir K. and Denes, Attila C. and Pasini-Hill, Diane M. and Santelli, Jeffrey C. and Baldessarini, Ross J.",
volume="69",
number="2",
pages="239-241",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: This study examined the implementation of crisis intervention teams by law enforcement agencies in Colorado. <br><br>METHODS: Rates of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) use, arrests, use of force, and injuries were assessed during 6,353 incidents involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Relationships among original complaint, psychiatric illness, substance abuse, violence risk, and disposition of crisis calls were analyzed. <br><br>RESULTS: Rates of SWAT use (<1%), injuries (<1%), arrests (<5%), and use of force (<5%) were low. The relative risk of transfer to treatment (versus no transfer) was significantly higher for incidents involving psychiatric illness, suicide threat or attempt, weapons, substance abuse, and violence potential. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Use of force or SWAT, arrests, and injuries were infrequent. Suicide risk, psychiatric illness and substance abuse, even in the presence of a weapon or violence threat, increased the odds of transfer to treatment, whereas suicide risk lowered the odds of transfer to jail.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1075-2730",
doi="10.1176/appi.ps.201700055",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201700055"
}