THE Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), working closely with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, provides support for individuals experiencing mental health challenges.

In fact, head of the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN) Senior Superintendent of Police Dahlia Garrick is encouraging the public to make use of this service if they, or someone they believe to be mentally ill, are displaying aggressive behaviour or are in need of treatment.

Garrick was responding to questions from the Jamaica Observer ahead of World Mental Health Day last Friday, about the JCF’s role, as outlined in Jamaica’s Mental Health Act, in assisting those who exhibit signs of mental health issues.

According to Section 15 of the Act, “Where a constable finds any person in a public place or wandering at large, in such manner or under such circumstances as to indicate that he is mentally disordered, the constable may, without warrant, take such person in charge and forthwith accompany him to a psychiatric facility for treatment or forthwith arrange for him to be conveyed with all reasonable care and despatch to that facility.”

The Act further states that the constable must, within 30 days after accompanying the individual to the psychiatric facility or making arrangements for the individual to be transferred to a facility, make a written report to the Mental Health Review Board.

“I just want the general public to know that there are systems in place for support, so you can get the help. Sometimes, persons with mental health issues, just like any other sickness, need some support and help; they need to be respected, they need to be looked out for, they need to be cared for — so we all play our part.

“I know Jamaica, we have improved, but there’s still some level of stigma attached to mental illness and so sometimes it slows down or restrict the type of support that is available to them, but I just want to encourage the general public to play a part — help, alert, make the referrals — because support is there,” said the senior superintendent.

Garrick told the Sunday Observer that police officers interact daily with individuals experiencing a range of mental illnesses and behavioural disorders. She said the most commonly encountered persons are those found wandering, many of whom suffer from conditions like Alzheimer’s, dementia, or schizophrenia, and are typically non-aggressive or non-violent.

“You will see us taking them to the [police] station, putting out bulletins that these people were found wandering and trying to make contact with [their] loved ones. If we observe someone even during an arrest, displaying behaviour that you may not consider normal, there are protocols that are there to help us to see whether this person might need some assessment by a trained professional — such as a psychiatrist or a social worker who has experience in that field, or your local mental health practitioner,” Garrick explained.

She further noted that the police are sometimes called by relatives and caregivers who need support or help to calm their agitated family member, help them take their medication, and provide assistance to transport individuals to a medical facility.

While interactions between the police and individuals with mental illnesses are generally smooth, Garrick acknowledged that there have been cases that ended tragically. Last year, 10 such individuals were fatally shot, while 11 others were involved in non-fatal encounters.

According to a recent report, police were summoned to an area near Stork and Bromanty streets in May Pen, Clarendon, on September 23, amid reports that a machete-wielding man was behaving violently. The man, believed to be mentally ill, was shot and wounded when he reportedly attacked one of the law enforcers. He was taken to the May Pen Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Describing incidents that result in death as unfortunate, Garrick emphasised that the use of excessive force only occurs when all other options to prevent further harm have been exhausted.

“The reality is that sometimes, if the requisite force is not employed, other lives may be lost or multiple lives, so just like any other response the police would take to a situation, you have to risk assess, you have to see the level of threat that exists and how to neutralise that threat with appropriate force,” she told the Sunday Observer.

The senior superintendent noted that the JCF’s policy regarding such interactions is comprehensive, with police exposed and sensitised on how to appropriately engage with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis during their training.

“It gives you an insight as to the legal framework under which you operate as a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in treating persons with mental illness. It gives you guidance as to how your approach should be, what are your support systems, because one of the things that we do as well is we make referrals,” Garrick shared.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, responding to questions posed by journalists at the most recent Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange regarding the number of seemingly mentally ill individuals creating mischief on the streets of Jamaica, shared that his team continues to work with the JCF through community mental health officers stationed in each parish.

“…When a report is made, and we have to depend on the reports to know exactly what is happening, that report is followed up by the mental health team also collaborating with the constabulary force…Usually, particularly if the individual is acting aggressive, there is a necessity, because while our people are trained to de-escalate aggression, they often don’t have the wherewithal — whether physically or otherwise — to neutralise, and I don’t mean neutralise in the extreme, but to prevent and control the circumstances so the police and the mental health team are essential and that’s normally the case,” said Tufton.

However, he noted that challenges exist that prevent individuals from repeating the pattern of behaviour.

“When they go, and the person is dealt with, often times the person is taken away to a location where they are assessed and treated. The challenge now is what happens after that because…the opposite to bringing them back to their homes and releasing them is to institutionalise them, and the new mantra around mental health is really community-based intervention, not to institutionalise. So, unless there is [an acute] case where you institutionalise and stabilise, we could have repeats,” the health minister explained.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health’s Director of Mental Health and Substance Use Dr Kevin Goulbourne, also speaking at the Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange, shared that the ministry has plans to deepen its relationship with the JCF.

“We have been trying to see if we can work out a modus operandi with [the JCF] as to how we should really approach these scenarios; that is still in the [works], we haven’t really completed that process. I know that some of them [officers], we’ve had dialogue with them in the past, but we need to really have a serious sit-down and look at it in a very careful way and do a protocol or a guide so both us and the police have a…common document that speaks to how the officers should operate with persons who are mentally ill and showing signs of aggression,” said Goulbourne.

He challenged Jamaicans to reach out to the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline at 876-639-5433 and make a report if they see someone they presume to be mentally ill and in need of intervention. Individuals can also call the police at 119.

“…It’s best not to confront them because you don’t know how they are thinking. It would be better to get help for them, so you can call the help line…and when they receive the call, [they] will try to contact the mental health team that is local to that area to bring assistance to that situation,” he said.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton speaking at last week’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s headquarters on Beechwood Avenue, St Andrew. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)