Managing The Mentally Ill: Training For Law Enforcement

Silver Hill Hospital is delighted to host the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE) training for the sixth consecutive year the week of June 11. This year, 43 police officers from Darien, Fairfield, New Canaan, New Haven, Norwalk and Wilton will participate in a program designed to help law enforcement learn to diffuse potentially harmful situations. 

The mission of CABLE is to provide quality mental health training for police officers, enabling them to better manage the delicate circumstances in which they might find themselves. As the funding for many state agencies is cut, it is often police officers who first encounter mentally ill individuals, making this training more important than it has ever been. It is the hope that with the proper tools, not only will injuries to citizens and other police officers be reduced, but that there will be a reduction in the number of repeat crisis calls for police support as well, saving taxpayer money and officer time.

Officers are hand selected by their respective departments. The week-long sessions are intense, covering subjects like de-escalation techniques; a phenomenon called “suicide by cop” where, rather than taking their own life, the individual tries to force police officer to shoot; and a session called “Hearing Voices” where the officers have to carry out simulated daily tasks while listening to an audio of repetitive voices. 

Silver Hill is pleased to open our doors and again welcome this esteemed group of officers. As an organization, CABLE organization is truly unique. The training is a model we would love to see replicated in other communities because we know that having well trained law enforcement, sensitized to the needs of those with mental illness, can make a tremendous difference in our local communities. 

We salute their work and the officers who attend and are happy to help with this innovative, important program.  

Janet Isdaner, LCSW
Director, Social Work and Transitional Living Programs
Silver Hill Hospital  

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Silver Hill Hospital’s blog is intended only to provide information; it is not intended to provide diagnosis or treatment. If this is an emergency, please call 911.