7-809 - Crisis Intervention

7-809 CRISIS INTERVENTION (06/22/01) (12/28/06) (11/06/07) (10/25/18) (03/01/19) (04/01/19)

1. PURPOSE

Sanctity of life, officer safety and the protection of the public shall be the principles of the Minneapolis Police Department’s (MPD) crisis intervention response policies and procedures. 

The purpose of this policy is to provide all sworn MPD employees with clear and consistent policies and procedures regarding interaction with individuals who are suffering from a crisis by:

• Improving the safety of officers and the Minneapolis community,
• Promoting community solutions to assist individuals in crisis, and
• Diverting those individuals away from the criminal justice system.

2. DEFINITIONS

Crisis: An event or situation where an individual’s safety and health are threatened by behavioral health challenges, to include mental illness, developmental disabilities, substance use, or overwhelming stressors. A crisis can involve an individual’s perception or experience of an event or situation as an intolerable difficulty that exceeds the individual’s current resources and coping mechanisms and may include unusual stress in his/her life that renders him/her unable to function as he/she normally would. The crisis may, but not necessarily, result in an upward trajectory or intensity culminating in thoughts or acts that are possibly dangerous to himself/herself and/or others.

Crisis Intervention: An attempt by an MPD officer to de-escalate an individual in crisis or refer or divert the individual to other services when appropriate.

Crisis Intervention Coordinator: An officer of the MPD who is responsible for the Crisis Intervention Program. The Crisis Intervention Coordinator is the point of contact between mental health and crisis intervention issues involving the MPD and the community, including crisis intervention training, reporting and policies. The Crisis Intervention Coordinator will maintain continuous working relationships with all community partners, with specific emphasis on mental health and advocacy partnerships.

Crisis Intervention Data Collection Form: A data collection form that gathers required crisis intervention information for the MPD to track and assess gaps in crisis intervention responses and training.

Crisis Intervention Program: A partnership program between police, mental health agencies, advocates, and the community that seeks to achieve the common goals of safety, understanding, and service to individuals in crisis, those suffering from mental health issues and their families. The goals of the Crisis Intervention Program are to:

• Improve the safety and security of officers, individual in crisis, their family, and community members.

• Improve the quality of life for people suffering from mental illness or crisis.
• Change how society and systems view individuals suffering from mental illness or crisis.
• Change how healthcare and criminal justice systems respond to individuals suffering from mental illness or crisis.

Crisis Intervention Trained Officer: A licensed peace officer of the MPD who has completed the MPD’s approved crisis intervention training. Crisis Intervention Trained Officers work in cooperation with community partners, mental health facilities and organizations.

Developmental Disability: A physical, cognitive, or emotional impairment often caused by a neurodevelopmental disorder such as cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder that results in a person’s limited functions in areas such as self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, comprehension, or capacity for independent living and economic self-sufficiency.

Emotionally Disturbed Person (EDP): The nature code for a person experiencing a crisis event or situation (as defined in this policy).

Mental Illness: “An organic disorder of the brain or a clinically significant disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation, memory, or behavior that is detailed in a diagnostic codes list published by the commissioner, and that seriously limits a person's capacity to function in primary aspects of daily living such as personal relations, living arrangements, work, and recreation” (MN Statute Section 245.462, Subd. 20). Mental illness conditions may be characterized by impairment of an individual’s normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, and caused by social, psychological, biochemical, genetic, or other factors.

3. POLICY

1. The MPD shall handle encounters with individuals in crisis in a manner that reflects the values of protection, safety and sanctity of life, while promoting the dignity of all people. Individuals in crisis may require heightened sensitivity and additional special consideration.

2. When safe and feasible, officers shall attempt to slow down or stabilize the situation so that more time, options and resources are available (in accordance with P&P 5-304).

3. It is the policy of the MPD to handle incidents involving mentally ill, chemically dependent or developmentally disabled persons and those in crisis, with care and expertise, ensuring that such persons receive appropriate responses based on their needs.

4. PROCEDURES/REGULATIONS

1. Crisis Intervention Response

1. A Crisis Intervention Trained Officer will be dispatched to incidents involving persons in crisis who are believed to be mentally ill or developmentally disabled.

1. Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center (MECC) will dispatch the nearest available squad for all police calls for service involving persons in crisis or mentally/developmentally ill individuals.

2. If officers who are dispatched or responding to an Emotionally Disturbed Person (EDP) call have not received Crisis Intervention training, the officers shall notify dispatch of the need for a Crisis Intervention Trained Officer to respond.

2. When practical, officers should inform the individual and their family (if on-scene) of the steps being taken while assisting the individual to a treatment facility, making referrals, or making an arrest, including providing information such as contact numbers and the reasons for the actions being taken.

3. Juveniles in Crisis

Officers responding to an EDP call who find that a juvenile is in need of psychiatric care (whether or not under arrest) may contact the Hennepin County’s 24/7 Mobile Mental Health Child Crisis Services (612-348-2233) for assistance.

2. Emergency Admission Procedures and Transport Holds

1. In accordance with MN Statute section 253B.05, subd. 2, a peace or health officer may take into custody an individual believed to be mentally ill, chemically dependent or developmentally disabled, if the facts and circumstances and reasonably trustworthy information are sufficient to warrant a prudent person in believing that the individual is in danger of injuring self or others if not immediately detained. Officers attempting to use the powers granted by this law shall be familiar with its requirements.

1. The police officer’s statement shall specify the facts to substantiate why the officer has reason to believe the individual:

1. to be mentally ill, chemically dependent or developmentally disabled and

2. in danger of injuring self or others if not immediately detained.

3. Both elements are required to take an individual into custody under this updated policy and procedure.

2. The peace or health officer does not need to directly observe the behavior or other facts upon which the transportation hold is based and may consider information from other reliable and reasonably trustworthy sources. The sources can be based on the statements of the person, witnesses, family members, or on the physical scene itself. Anonymous tips must be corroborated through direct observation or identifiable, reliable sources.

3. The police officer shall complete the Application by Peace Officer for Emergency Evaluation Form (MP-9094), also known as the MPD “transport hold” form, when taking a person into custody under MN Statute section 253B.05 subd. 2 and transporting the person to a health care facility for evaluation.

1. The form can be found on City Talk under Forms.

2. The form can be completed online but must be printed for distribution.

3. The police officer completing the form shall provide a copy of the completed form to:

• the health care facility,
• the person taken into custody and
• to the transporting agency, if the person is not transported by the police officer.

4. The transport hold allows the person to be transported to a hospital and held until they are evaluated. After the evaluation, the hospital may release the person or place them under a 72-hour hold.

1. When a police officer responds to a health officer’s call to assist in transporting a person, the health officer should identify themselves to the police officers as qualified under the statute to write a transport hold.

2. If the transport hold order is written by a health officer (on or off-site) and presented to a police officer, the police officer shall assist in executing the transport hold.

3. Officers also have the authority to sign a transport hold, based on the factors set out above.

2. In accordance with MN Statute section 253B.02, subd. 9, a health officer is defined as one of the following:

• a licensed physician;
• a licensed psychologist;
• a licensed social worker;
• a registered nurse working in an emergency room of a hospital;
• a psychiatric or public health nurse;
• an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN);
• a mobile crisis intervention mental health professional; or
• a formally designated member of a prepetition screening unit.

3. Transportation for Emergency Admission

1. Any necessary transportation for emergency admission shall be to a health care facility (e.g. HCMC, Fairview Riverside, NMMC or Abbott).

2. All searches of an individual taken into custody and transported shall be in accordance with the Search and Seizure policy (P&P 9-201).

3. Officers are advised to request an ambulance to transport a combative person to the hospital.

1. An officer shall ride in the ambulance during the transport of the combative person.

4. If the individual to be transported is a juvenile, officers shall make a reasonable attempt to notify the parent or guardian as soon as practical.

5.  In the event a dispute arises regarding the MPD’s Transporting for Emergency Admission section, a Supervisor will be called to the scene.

3. Persons in Crisis Who Require Medical Attention or Transport

1. Officers shall call EMS and render first aid in accordance with P&P 7-350 Emergency Medical Response.

2. If an individual in crisis requires a transport but is unable to walk due to a medical or physical condition or other circumstances, officers shall call EMS to transport the individual to the medical facility.

4. Handcuffing Persons in Crisis

1. Officers shall use extreme caution when taking a person in crisis into custody and shall use handcuffs when the person is not restrained by other means (in accordance with P&P 9-109)

2. When safe and feasible, use of handcuffs shall be explained to the individual being handcuffed and to the parent/family member (if present) in a tactful manner, using age-appropriate language for minors.

3. Once the individual in crisis is calm, under control and handcuffed, officers shall keep the individual under constant observation while in custody, and shall continue with de-escalation techniques as necessary.

5. Reporting Procedures

Officers responding to any incident involving a person in crisis shall comply with the following reporting requirements:

1. Reporting Transportation for Emergency Admission

1. When an individual is transported by MPD, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, the transporting officer(s) shall complete a report titled CIC.

2. When MPD is the primary responding agency and determines that a transport by ambulance is necessary, the officer(s) shall complete a report titled CIC.

3. When MPD is not the primary responding agency, and an individual is transported by ambulance, the officer(s) shall request that MECC change the nature code to EDP prior to clearing the call.

2. Citation or Arrest

When a person in crisis is cited and released or arrested for an offense, the arresting officer shall complete the report.

3. Nature Code

If an original incident (e.g. CKWEL, SUSPP, DIST) is later determined to be an EDP incident, officers shall request that MECC change the nature code to EDP prior to clearing the call.

4. Report

When a report is required, officers completing the report shall:

1. Use CIC as the primary code or include CIC as an additional code when CIC is involved but not the primary code.

2. Avoid references to the mental health of a person in any report synopsis available for public disclosure. All such information shall be documented in the narrative section.

5. Crisis Intervention Data Collection Form

1. When the nature code of a call is EDP, the primary squad handling the call shall complete the Crisis Intervention Data Collection form in MDC prior to clearing. This form does not replace any required reports.

2. Questions regarding the Crisis Intervention Data Collection form should be directed to the Crisis Intervention Coordinator.

6. Early release from a Transport hold or 72-hour hold

If a treatment facility releases a person from a transport hold placed by MPD officers or a 72-hour hold placed by the treatment facility, before the hold period expires, all related notifications from the facility shall be forwarded to the Strategic Information Center (SIC) unit for review who will determine if any further actions are necessary (e.g. ALLPM MDC, Address alert, KOPS, DIB). If the notification occurs when the SIC unit is closed, an on-duty supervisor in the precinct where the call originally occurred shall review the case and make the determination regarding further actions.

7. Referral Options

1. Referral options for behavioral health and social service agencies, veteran and homeless resources, child and adolescent services, and hospital systems are provided on CityTalk under Crisis Intervention Resources.

2. If an officer learns of a new agency that can be used as a resource, the officer should notify the Crisis Intervention Coordinator via e-mail and include the agency name, address and phone number as well as the resources that can be provided. The Crisis Intervention Coordinator will add this information to the Crisis Intervention Resources.