Crisis response to persons with mental illness: understanding responder capacity

The issue of responding to and meeting the needs of persons experiencing crises relating to mental illness has been increasingly demanding attention in the media and in our communities. Literature suggests that the criminal justice and health systems have become intricately involved as a consequence of deinstitutionalization, and policing authorities have become informally designated as first responders to persons experiencing a mental health crisis. This effect is occurring in many developed countries prompting an examination of these subsystems independently and as they interact together. Further to this, emerging joint initiatives that are considered best practice demand collaboration between these systems and with local communities that has not existed in the past... .