In addition, DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), within  its Office of Justice Programs, has created a compendium of existing  information and research in the field of state and local law enforcement  responses to individuals with mental illness. DHS and DOJ both currently have efforts underway, in various stages of  development, to have their components review their existing policies,  guidance, and training in response to departmental guidance on  addressing individuals with disabilities and obligations under section 504. In addition, the 21st Century Cures Act requires the Attorney General to  provide direction and guidance for the following by December 13, 2017:  “Programs that offer specialized and comprehensive training, in  procedures to identify and appropriately respond to incidents in which  the unique needs of individuals who have a mental illness are  involved, to first responders and tactical units of—(A) Federal law  enforcement agencies; and (B) other Federal criminal justice  agencies, such as  and the Administrative Office of the United  States Courts, and other agencies that the Attorney General  determines appropriate.”  “The establishment of, or improvement of existing, computerized  information systems to provide timely information to employees of  Federal law enforcement agencies, and Federal criminal justice  agencies to improve the response of such employees to situations  involving individuals who have a mental illness.”

	Discussion Groups Identified Several Challenges that Officers and Agents Encounter When Responding to Incidents Involving Individuals with Mental Illness

According to the DHS and DOJ law enforcement officers and agents we  interviewed, they are not positioned to diagnose any specific mental  health condition that an individual might have, as they are not trained  mental health professionals. Some of the common challenges officers and agents identified  during our discussion groups follow. BOP corrections officers also echoed this challenge. Components Have Some Type of Training, Policies, and Guidance Related to Mental Illness, and Reviews to Enhance Practices are Underway

		DHS and DOJ Components Offer, Receive, or Are Developing Some Type of Training Related to Mental Illness

All of the law enforcement components in our scope offer training directly,  receive training through FLETC, or are developing some training on  responding to incidents involving individuals with mental illness. Since these  components have varying missions and operational needs and interact  with the public in different capacities, the nature and scope of this  training, as well as the number of courses and the duration of courses  offered varies. All DHS and DOJ Components Are Reviewing Policies, Guidance, and Training to Align with Departmental Guidance

DHS Efforts to Review Policies, Guidance, and Training  DHS has guidance in place to help ensure that its components have  policies and training that ensure their alignment with section 504 of the  Rehabilitation Act. Stakeholders Cited Leading Practices and Tools for Effective Law Enforcement Responses, and Components Have Generally Leveraged Information from Other Knowledgeable Parties

		Two Leading Practices and Four Tools Can Enhance Officer Responses to Individuals with Mental Illness

Of the six stakeholders in the field of law enforcement-mental health we  interviewed, all six considered the Crisis Intervention Team Model to be a  leading practice and five considered the Co-responder Model to be a  leading practice—see Figure 2. These practices are typically  implemented at local and state law enforcement agencies. Nevertheless,  certain aspects and associated benefits could be considered in other  settings, such as federal law enforcement operations. Components Have Generally Leveraged Information from Other Knowledgeable Parties, and BJA Is Standing Up a Training and Technical Assistance Center

DHS and DOJ law enforcement components generally leveraged  information from knowledgeable parties within their departments on  efforts to respond to incidents involving individuals with mental illness. Along with BJA, this ODAG working  group included DOJ’s law enforcement components and other offices  within the department. A BJA official also  acknowledged that the center could serve as an additional resource for  federal law enforcement agencies to consult as they review their  trainings, policies, and guidance relevant to responding to incidents  involving individuals with mental illness. In addition, this report is available at no  charge on GAO’s website at http://www.gao.gov.
Why GAO Did This Study

Law enforcement encounters with individuals with mental illness may require special training and skills and can sometimes involve volatile situations, risking tragic injuries or even death.
The 21st Century Cures Act includes a provision for GAO to review the practices that federal first responders, tactical units, and corrections officers (for the purposes of this study, “law enforcement officers and agents”) are trained to use in responding to incidents involving individuals with mental illness. This report addresses (1) challenges that federal law enforcement officers and agents face; (2) applicable training, policies, and guidance; and (3) existing leading practices, relevant tools, and efforts to leverage information.
GAO selected the five DHS and five DOJ law enforcement components (e.g., Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation) that represent the largest concentration of law enforcement officers within the two departments. GAO reviewed the training, policies, and guidance in place, as well as efforts to enhance them, and discussed these matters with knowledgeable officials. In addition, GAO held discussion groups with a nongeneralizable sample of law enforcement officers and agents, selected through component contacts, to discuss their perspectives. GAO also reviewed studies on law enforcement responses to individuals with mental illness to help identify leading practices and tools and interviewed stakeholders, selected through a structured process, to obtain their perspectives.

What GAO Found

Law enforcement officers and agents from the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Justice (DOJ) cited a number of challenges in our discussion groups related to their response to incidents involving individuals with a mental illness.
All of the federal law enforcement components in GAO's review either offer, receive, or are developing some form of training to their law enforcement officers and agents that addresses responding to incidents involving individuals with a mental illness. Further, all components have relevant policies or guidance in place, and all are undertaking efforts to enhance their practices in accordance with departmental guidance. Since DHS and DOJ components have varying missions and operational needs and interact with the public in different capacities, the nature and scope of training, as well as the number and duration of courses offered in response to individuals with mental illness varies; however, they generally include elements focusing on de-escalation and communication. In addition, DHS and DOJ both have efforts underway to have components review their training and policies under departmental guidance and plan to begin implementing any changes by 2018.
Stakeholders cited leading practices and tools for effective law enforcement responses, and DHS and DOJ components have generally leveraged information from other knowledgeable parties. For example, the Crisis Intervention Team approach involves training selected law enforcement officers on mental health topics and dispatching those officers on mental-health related calls. While models like this are typically used by state and local law enforcement agencies, their benefits could be considered in other settings such as federal law enforcement. DHS and DOJ officials are also using collaborative mechanisms within their departments, such as conference calls and working groups with officials, that have helped them leverage information from knowledgeable parties. In addition, DOJ's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), which supports programs and initiatives in the areas of law enforcement, among other activities, has developed and makes publicly available resources such as its Police-Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit. BJA also is working to stand up a national training and technical assistance center to improve law enforcement responses to people with mental illness. While aimed at state, local, and tribal law enforcement, a BJA official also acknowledged that the center could serve as an additional resource for federal law enforcement agencies to consult as they review relevant trainings, policies, and guidance on this topic.