@article{ref1,
title="Improving police responses to suicide-related emergencies: new evidence on the effectiveness of co-response police-mental health programs",
journal="Suicide and life-threatening behavior",
year="2021",
author="Blais, Etienne and Brisebois, David",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Several police organizations have implemented training programs and co-response police-mental health programs to improve interventions among people in crisis. Some researchers have questioned the &quot;one size fits all&quot; approach of these programs and their ability to improve the management of specific psychosocial emergencies such as suicide-related behaviors. <br><br>OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the effect of a co-response police-mental health program introduced by the Laval Police Department to improve interventions in suicide-related calls. <br><br>METHODS: Propensity score matching techniques were used to match 130 observations of a control group with 251 observations of a treatment group. Average treatment effects (ATEs) were then computed. <br><br>RESULTS: Results indicate that the co-response program was associated with significant decreases in police use of force (ATE = -0.077; p ≤ 0.05) and transports to hospital (ATE = -0.773; p ≤ .01). Increases were observed in referrals to community resources (ATE = 0.285; p ≤ 0.01), and individuals managed through their social network (ATE = 0.530; p ≤ 0.01). <br><br>CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that co-response police-mental health programs can improve the management of people showing suicide-related behaviors.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0363-0234",
doi="10.1111/sltb.12792",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12792"
}