"Look Again: Mental Illness Re-Examined” is a groundbreaking podcast brought to you by the BC Schizophrenia Society and supporting partners. Host Faydra Aldridge, CEO of BCSS, and co-host Melissa McKenna, Marketing and Communications Manager at BCSS, speak with medical experts, families, and people with lived experience of mental illness to dispel myths and get to the truth. Be prepared for frank conversations, up-to-date medical information, immersive sound design, and stories of hope and resilience. This podcast is for anyone whose life has been touched by mental illness. In other words, it’s for everyone.
https://www.bcss.org/lookagain
episode 7: Mental Illness and Police: A Hopeful Story
Serious question: Why is it that when people show signs of serious mental illness or psychosis -- calling the police for help is often viewed as a "last resort" by families and loved ones? Historically, when law enforcement and mental illness intersect, the results have been patchy. But Sgt. Cara Thomson of Surrey RCMP's Police Mental Health Outreach team wants to change that. Her unit handles police-related mental health and addiction calls for service and staffs the Car 67 program, where a registered Psychiatric Nurse rides with a police officer, attending mental health calls. Sgt. Thomson joins host Faydra Aldridge for a candid conversation about mental health, violence, and law enforcement.
Additional Resources
- Combining Police with Nurses for Mental Health Calls Isn't BC's First Came in 1978
- Breaking the Cycle of Crisis: The role of police in crisis intervention (Visions Journal, 2017, Vol 12(4))
- Building Connections with Police Mental Health Resources
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