Mental Health Flashcards
(40 cards)
What is a mental health incident?
“Any police incident thought to relate to someone’s mental health where their vulnerability is at the centre of the incident or where the police have had to do something additionally or differently because of it.”
Structural Factors affecting mental health
-Safe living environment
-Education
-Employment
-Freedom from discrimination and violence
- Access to economic resources
Community Factors affecting mental health
-A positive sense of belonging
-Community Contentedness
-Activities to highlight and embrace diversity
-Social Support
-Participation in society
Individual Factors affecting mental health
-Life experiences
-The ability to manage thoughts
-Coping with triggers
-Having communication and social skills to support connection with others
Neurological conditions (not mental illness)
Learning disability and autism
Define Mental disorder
Any disorder or disability of the mind (S.1(2) MHA 1983)
People who are vulnerable because of mental health are also…
high risk of going missing (4/5 missing adults have poor mental health)
Physical conditions that can relate to poor mental health
-Diabetes
-Epilepsy
-urinary tract infections
-strokes
Can cause confusion, agitation, loss of awareness, random body movements, depression and anxiety
Drugs and Alcohol that can relate to poor mental health
-Drugs can exacerbate poor mental health
-Some drugs can trigger schizophrenia
-Drugs can mask symptoms of an underlying mental health condition.
Behaviour associated with learning disabilities
-Distress
-Aggression
-Confusion
-Inability to communicate clearly
Mental health misconceptions
-Unreliable victims or witnesses
-Can’t be prosecuted if they break the law
-Can’t make day-to-day decisions
-lacks capacity to make any decision
Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983
Grants powers and responsibilities to police in relation to people with mental health conditions. Covers assessment, treatment and rights.
Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005
Provides legal framework for intervening in decision making for over 16’s who lack capacity to make a decision. 5 principles are:
1) Assume the person has capacity unless proven otherwise
2) Enable capacity by assisting the person when making a decision
3) If they make an unwise/eccentric decision, they must be respected.
4) If a person lacks capacity, treatment decisions must be made in the person’s best interests.
5) Treatment should be the least restrictive option to the person’s rights/freedoms
Warrant to search for and remove patients - S.135(1) MHA 1983
Warrant where reasonable suspicion exists that person needs a mental health assessment.
Constable may enter by force (if necessary) with a warrant if they suspect a person suffering a mental health disorder has been ill-treated or unable to care for himself (and is alone). The constable may then move them to a place off safety with a view to making arrangements for treatment.
Basically police attend to help if they kick off.
Effective communication skills
-Putting individual at ease, so they can talk about their illness/disability
-Reduce the risk of injury to all parties present
-Help provide valuable information if an individual intends to self-harm or take their own life, or if there is an immediate concern for the safety of the public
-Enable you to make an informed decision and help minimise any risks
Facilitators (Mental Health)
May need family member, carer or appropriate adult to facilitate communications
Verbal communication skills
-Use short sentences and simple, jargon-free language
-Take care with choice of words and tone of voice
-Break information into smaller chunks so one idea/concept is explained at a time
-Pause frequently to make sure you don’t overload them with words
-Go at the pace of the person you are communicating with
-Ask simple questions about what help the person needs/their welfare/what they expect
-Give the person time to take in information and repeat/rephrase what you are saying if they don’t understand
-Repeat back what they say so you know you understand
-Acknowledge what the person feels
-Be patient, calm and respectful
Non-Threatening body language
-Use non-threatening open body language
-Give the person your full attention and gain their attention
-Avoid staring
-Try not to look at notes/mobile device/computer screen
-Make sure the person can see you clearly
-Use visual aids like photos to support what you are saying
-move to a quiet location
-Give the person space, be compassionate and patient
-Manage your demeanour, facial and body language.
De-escalating skills
-Be aware of personal space
-Talk slowly and calmly
-Police officer is not always the best de-escalated if the person finds them daunting. Ambulance/family may be better.
-Do not make promises, may expectation/limitations clear.
Removal of mentally disordered persons without a warrant S.136 MHA 1983
Emergency power that allows for the removal of a person believed to be suffering a mental health issue to a place of safety.
-Person needs immediate need of care and control and
- it is in the interest of that person or for the protection of others.
Cannot be used in any house, flat, garden, outhouse or room where a person is living but otherwise powers of entry exists for any non-dwelling
Consultation of registered medical practioner must occur if possible
S.136 detained in a…
Ambulance, who make an assessment of hospital or place of safety.
Only taken to police custody in exceptional (dangerous) circumstances with Inspector authority and never under 18. Should have healthcare professional present where practicable.
Police may follow an ambulance or be transported in ambulance with person. May get inspector authority to travel in car.
RAVE
Police get involved in mental health incidents if there is Resistance, aggression, violence or escape.
Safe and Well Checks checklist
Establish a person’s location and ascertain whether the individual is ABC (Alive, breathing and conscious. If you find someone escaping hospital you have two options:
1) Inform hospital and leave them there if they are safe pending decisions by an AMHP (Approved Mental Health Professional) to admit them UNDER MHA 1983
2) Remain in as close proximity you are legally able to and contact a crisis team for urgent assessment
No power of entry
VAF information - personal
Vulnerability Assessment Framework necessary 1) Personal information
2) Behaviour information
3) Existing support
4) Consent
5) Escalation
