(Oct. 26. 2015) Tomorrow, U.S. President Barack Obama will speak at the 122nd International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference and Exposition in Chicago. He will be joined at the conference by Treatment Advocacy Center Executive Director John Snook and more than 14,000 members of law enforcement from around the country.
Snook will be speaking about solutions for reducing and improving police interactions with people who have a mental illness.
In towns and cities throughout the United States, police officers are increasingly finding themselves playing dual roles as law enforcers and psychiatric social workers. People with mental illness are often arrested in connection with minor crimes like disorderly conduct or trespassing, making jails and prisons de facto mental institutions.
“Untreated severe mental illness is highly associated with arrest and incarceration, “said Snook. “A disproportionate number of these individuals are ending up in the criminal justice system when they should be receiving treatment.”
Last year, the IACP endorsed assisted outpatient treatment as a solution to improve outcomes for people with severe mental illness.
The Treatment Advocacy Center has served as a resource on the impact of untreated mental illness on members of law enforcement and the criminal justice system by publishing the following reports:
- Prevalence of Mental Health Diversion Practices: A Survey of the States
- The Treatment of Persons with Mental Illness in Prisons and Jails: A State Survey
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