In 2010 our leading mental health charity, Mind, published a guide on policing and mental health. It was a widely disseminated, well received document that highlighted issues for the public and for police officers in complex area of work.
So much has happened in the intervening few years, that it has been revised during the last few months of last year and the Mind guide (2014) has just been published on their website. This time, it is also approved by Victim Support after last year’s groundbreaking report “At risk, yet dismissed.”
I strongly advise all police officers to have a look through this booklet. I also recommend it to victims of crime and those who come into contact with the police in other ways, during crisis incidents or having been accused of offending.
There is suggested good practice from around the country in here – there is proper emphasis on the all-too-often misunderstood issues that affect those of us with mental health problems who have become victims of crime.
Please share it around as widely as you feel you can.
I’m especially grateful to Mind for the generous plug-in the document for this blog – it still remains a highlight of my life and an honour to have won the Mind digital media award in 2012 and for it to continue to be highlighted by them as a reference tool for operational officers and more widely is extremely rewarding for me personally.
Winner of the President’s Medal, the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Winner of the Mind Digital Media Award
All opinions expressed are my own – they do not represent the views of any organisation. (c) Michael Brown, 2014
I try to keep this blog up to date, but inevitably over time, amendments to the law as well as court rulings and other findings from inquests and complaints processes mean it is difficult to ensure all the articles and pages remain current. Please ensure you check all legal issues in particular and take appropriate professional advice where necessary.
Government legislation website – www.legislation.gov.uk
Mental Health Cop 