[Approved by Governor October 3, 2015. Filed with Secretary of State October 3, 2015.]
SB 11, Beall. Peace officer training: mental health.
Existing law requires specified categories of law enforcement officers to meet training standards pursuant to courses of training certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Existing law requires POST to include in its basic training course adequate instruction in the handling of persons with developmental disabilities or mental illness, or both. Existing law also requires POST to establish and keep updated a continuing education classroom training course relating to law enforcement interaction with developmentally disabled and mentally ill persons.
This bill would require POST to review the training module relating to persons with a mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance abuse disorder in its basic training course, and develop additional training to better prepare law enforcement officers to recognize, deescalate, and appropriately respond to persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance use disorders. The bill would require that this training be at least 15 hours, address issues relating to stigma, be culturally relevant and appropriate, include training scenarios and facilitated learning activities, and be included in the current hour requirement of the regular basic course.
The bill would also require POST to establish and keep updated a classroom-based continuing training course that includes instructor-led active learning relating to behavioral health and law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, and substance use disorders. The bill would require that this continuing training course be at least 3 consecutive hours. The bill would require this course be made available to each law enforcement officer with a rank of supervisor or below and who is assigned to patrol duties or to supervise officers who are assigned to patrol duties.
This bill would require implementation of the training module and continuing training course no later than August 1, 2016.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 13515.26 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
(a) The commission shall review the training module in the regular basic course relating to persons with a mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance use disorder, and analyze existing training curricula in order to identify areas where additional training is needed to better prepare law enforcement to effectively address incidents involving mentally disabled persons.
(b) Upon identifying what additional training is needed, the commission shall update the training in consultation with appropriate community, local, and state organizations, and agencies that have expertise in the area of mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders, and with appropriate consumer and family advocate groups.
(c) The training shall address issues related to stigma, shall be culturally relevant and appropriate, and shall include all of the following topics:
(1) Recognizing indicators of mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.
(2) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for potentially dangerous situations.
(3) Use of force options and alternatives.
(4) The perspective of individuals or families who have experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.
(5) Mental health resources available to the first responders to events that involve mentally disabled persons.
(d) The course of instruction shall be at least 15 hours, and shall include training scenarios and facilitated learning activities relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.
(e) The course shall be presented within the existing hours allotted for the regular basic course.
(f) The commission shall implement this section on or before August 1, 2016.
Section 13515.27 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
(a) The commission shall establish and keep updated a classroom-based continuing training course that includes instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training, relating to behavioral health and law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.
(b) This course shall be at least three consecutive hours, may include training scenarios and facilitated learning activities, shall address issues related to stigma, shall be culturally relevant and appropriate, and shall include all of the following topics:
(1) The cause and nature of mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.
(2) Indicators of mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.
(3) Appropriate responses to a variety of situations involving persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.
(4) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for potentially dangerous situations.
(5) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially emotionally distressed persons.
(6) Resources available to serve persons with mental illness or intellectual disability.
(7) The perspective of individuals or families who have experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.
(c) The course described in subdivisions (a) and (b) shall be made available by the commission to each law enforcement officer with a rank of supervisor or below and who is assigned to patrol duties or to supervise officers who are assigned to patrol duties.
(d) The commission shall implement this section on or before August 1, 2016.
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