By Scott Buhrmaster
Contributing Editor
Officers are increasingly finding themselves challenged with handling calls involving emotionally disturbed people (EDPs). This comes as no surprise given the fact that mental health support budgets continue to be squeezed and treatment and housing facilities continue to be hard pressed to keep their doors open. But with an increase in the number of EDPs on the streets comes an increase in the odds that you too, will be challenged with safely navigating EDP-involved calls. Without training and preparation, this can prove to be a bigger, more dangerous challenge than you might imagine.
Kurk Lalemand is the founder and president of Non-Abusive Psychological & Physical Intervention, Inc., an organization that has trained police and corrections professionals, among other groups, on the safe handling of EDPs.
In an exclusive interview with Police1 this week, Lalemand detailed five pieces of advice-easily remembered by the acronym S.M.A.R.T.-that can prove invaluable to your safety and the safety of an emotionally disturbed person with whom you are forced to have contact.
The breakdown is as follows:
S = Stay One Step Ahead
One of the best tools you can have in any encounter with an EDP is an understanding of the needs and nuances of mental illness. Lalemand suggests that officers make an effort to learn some of the tips that help mental health professionals work with the mentally ill BEFORE you find yourself in a field contact situation.
Among them are:
1. Don’t appear frightened. Sometimes the appearance of fear can serve as a trigger for an adverse response to your presence. Make an effort to appear calm and in control while avoiding an overly dominant, threatening appearance.
2. Speak slowly and quietly and pause between statements. People suffering from mental illness often have a hard time processing what others are saying at a “normal” speed.
“Officers should remember that an emotionally disturbed person’s lack of prompt response may be an illustration of an inability to respond rather than an unwillingness to respond,” Lalemand suggests. Patience and a preparedness to allow for some extra mental processing time can help avoid an unnecessarily combative situation.
3. Be cautious in your interpretation of verbal responses. In line with point #2, an inability to understand what you are saying does not necessarily mean that the subject will remain silent. Often a mentally ill person will recognize the fact that because you are talking to him he, too, is expected to be talking.
The problem lies in the fact that he has not yet fully processed the meaning of the conversation, so he doesn’t know what to say. As a result, he may say anything.and chances are good that whatever that may be will be presented with the tone of defiance or disrespect which normally helps keep him safe on the streets.
Remember that what sounds like resistance may very well be an instinctive, shallow response to confusion and a lack of understanding.
M = Move One Step At A Time
According to Lalemand, one of the most common mistakes officers make when dealing with EDPs is to expect too much too quickly. He advises that officers take these contacts slowly to avoid undue stress, alarm and frustration on both sides.
“Say ‘Hi,’” Lalemand instructs, “then pause. Then ask his name. And pause. Then give him one command -- not two or three-and pause.
Remember, in the world of dealing with the mentally ill, the slower you go, the faster you will reach your goal. The faster you go, the longer it will take you to get there.”
A = Attend Fully
Lalemand advises that you listen very carefully for clues that will tip you off to what is going on in the mind of an EDP. If you suddenly hear him responding to someone who isn’t there, be aware that there are other factors-the unseen influences of the subject’s delusions-playing into the dynamic of your encounter. Remember that these may play a role in the subject’s decision-making process. If possible, you may want to explore what he is “being told” as a way to protect yourself and as a way to further your understanding of his needs, fears and desires so you can leverage them to a peaceful conclusion to your contact.
You should also use any past knowledge of the subject you may have as a way to monitor his state of mind. If on your daily patrol you have noticed that he is usually calm, introverted and seemingly harmless but during a call he is showing signs of nervousness and excitability, take note of this change in behavior and raise your level of caution accordingly.
Likewise, if you notice that a typically high-strung individual is suddenly calm, avoid being lulled into an assumption that this calm equals peace. A change in behavior can be a red flag to pending danger.
R = Refocus Attention
If you find that an EDP is fixated on something that is agitating or provoking her-be that a person, a group of people or even a thing-make an immediate effort to refocus her attention by using a calm voice and slow, focusing hand gestures. Often a prompt redirecting away from the provoking factor can serve to quickly and effectively calm the situation and may help serve as a redirect back to reality.
“It’s also a good idea to help the disturbed subject focus on what is ‘good’ about the moment as opposed to that which is troubling him,” suggests Lalemand. “For example, if an emotionally disturbed person is feeling threatened by something or someone, real or imagined, remind him that you are here now, that you have gained control of the situation and, most importantly, that you are here to keep him safe. Remind him that your presence signals that fact that things are O.K. now and he can relax and calm down.”
T = Together, Work With TLC
Working together includes working with mental health professionals to educate yourself on techniques that will help you be safer and more effective on EDP calls and to act as a team, when possible, to control EDP encounters.
It also means creating a plan of approach with your partner that can effectively avoid undue agitation while moving to your desired goal. For example, if an EDP expresses concern that you, specifically, are there to harm him, default to your partner and allow the individual a few minutes to calm down. You might suggest to the subject that your partner is “specially trained to help in situations like this one, and it would be a good idea if he stood by (him) for awhile while you took care of some other things.”
Working with TLC-WITHOUT compromising your safety-can make a world of difference in EDP-related calls. By necessity, emotionally disturbed people are often defensive. They are typically accustomed to being feared, avoided and treated with disrespect. Even the smallest signs of TLC can earn the kind of cooperation and trust you need to direct an EDP-related encounter to a safe conclusion. Without it -- as recent history tells us -- many times the situation can quickly turn deadly.
For more information on NAPPI training programs for law enforcement, please call Kurk Lemand at (800) 358-6277.
