Policing Mental Health Unit Proposal

Policing Mental Health Unit Proposal

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Policing Mental Health Unit Proposal

Today a number of police departments have registered cases of mental issues and drug addiction in our society hence becoming a vital concern. In recent times, due to increase in the cases of drug trafficking, drug addiction is highly shooting day in day out. Although mental illness is caused by a combination of psychological, biological and environmental factors, drug addiction has highly contributed to it. In a many towns an array of people have been reported to suffer from mental illness which is said to emanate from many causes. This has raised an alarm to the police department to take control of the issues which is the most effective group that can curb such problems.

To deal with the problem, it is necessary to incorporate behavioral health unit to the police department. This is because the law enforcement body are the people that tend to mingle with many people who are victims of drug addiction and mental illness caused by the drugs in their daily routine of investigating issues in thee society . As the police arrest and handcuff the people who are found with the offense of abusing drugs, they come across people that are not only abusing drugs but rather are addicted to the drugs. This deteriorates the health of the victims and at times the repercussions exceed to the extent of causing mental illness to them.

The challenge becomes a very difficult situation for the law enforcement body since punishing the victim by either an arrest or torture will not put to an end the addiction. This will only solve the problem for a short period of time and the victims will go back to their drugs after the release. Following this, introducing behavioral health unit will greatly help in solving this crisis since the units will be held accountable with the responsibility of transforming the victims and helping them out of the addiction through a number of therapies and also educating the victims on the effects of the drugs that they are addicted in.

Implementing behavioral health unit will help adequately in dealing with drug addictions and mental illness since there will be psychiatrics and mental health technicians in the unit who will provide direct patient care, guidance and be positive role models to the victims. Some of the victims of drug addiction are involved in drugs due stress that they feel is too much for them to handle. These depressions may result from families, friends and work places.

Having behavioral health unit in the police departments will help the victims to interact closely with the psychiatrics and it will provide an opportunity for the victims to share their problems and the psychiatrics could be in a position to provide possible solution to the problems. Sharing with the psychiatrics offloads the victim’s heart hence they start rebuilding a positive attitude towards life. Also, possible solutions provided to them helps in developing a positive attitude towards life and hence eradicate drug addiction. The victims are also informed and educated of the adverse effects that the drugs could have on their health and by so doing cases of drug addictions are suppressed.

Those suffering from mental illness are brought to these behavioral health units and a number of various therapies is carried upon them. The psychiatrics are able to observe the behavior of those suffering from mental illness and be in a position to treat the victims. After studying the victims, the psychiatric carry out a number of therapies, behavioral techniques and biofeedback depending on the level of mental illness and then administer the appropriate medication . This will be of great help to the police department since the cases of mental illness will be dealt with and hence reduce the number of such cases.

References

Isabel Clarke, H. W. (2009). Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Acute inpatient Mental units. Springer.

O’Brien, P. G. (2012). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. springer.