The report

After his travels, Glen was tasked with writing his report to submit it to the Churchill Foundation, outlining his findings, experiences and recommendations to bring back to Australian policing.

His recommendations came down to the four stages of diversion as outlined on the right.

Since returning home he has undertaken many late night/ early morning virtual meetings and conferences which his connections not just from these visited agencies but by the shared connections in this field the Winston Churchill Trust Fellowship has allowed him to access.

Glen has sent his report to Churchill for their consideration to publish his findings and recommendations which will be published to the Churchill Trusts website for open access.

“I’m then expected to go out and discuss my report with agencies across the country and make moves to try and get some of my recommendations implemented,” he said.

“I’ve already had some meetings with some inspectors in WA and officers from other jurisdictions have already reached out to find out more.”

Glen said he has already been asked to go back to America and be a guest presenter at a National Co Response Conference to represent and discuss his Churchill Fellowship findings and report

“I went away with a very narrow police scope thinking that these issues were for police to investigate. I soon realised it was a much wider issue, where other and more agencies need to get involved,” he said.

“It’s not going to be just a policing issue, we need a national approach. For example introducing a secondary triple digit number for mental health crisis and establishing a 24/7 mental health crisis call centre and receival unit.”

“All these recommendations and strategies is a completely systems based approach and not one of these things will work by implementing just one, each one of these things is dependent on the other being successful like spokes in a wheel.”

Glen said the WA Police Force mental health Co-response Unit was still formulating training but if any officer wants advice or guidance in this scope they can call him anytime.

“I’d love to look into a more proactive scope, implement field trips, talk to the troops on the ground and have more in-depth and appropriately resourced training and courses available.”

Glen said there was a stark difference between how things are done overseas and in WA.

“There’s a lot of room for us to expand into areas where other agencies have already moved in to. Since 50 years ago we have taken a step on the road and now we can keep walking along that road and expanding to where we have seen others lead the way.” ■

The Four Stages Of Diversion Call Diversion

• Divert the emergency calls away to the relevant agency/responder so they don’t reach emergency services if not necessary. Clinicians can respond initially and not first responders.

• Create a separate triple digit number – mental health.

• Have positions created at POC where a clinician or qualified health professional is trained in the area to evaluate calls that is more a mental health job, therefore not sending police resources.

Response Diversion

• Have a similar set up to the CAHOOTS. A fulltime 24/7 service, sending non police responders.

Outcome Diversion

• Have face to face training courses readily available for officers to better understand behavioural health crisis and how to manage it.

• Have a dedicated Behavioural Health Crisis staff from both police and health working together in a full-time role. World practice shows BHC management is treated as standard police/health business and resourced accordingly.

• Look into the feasibility of disengagement policies.

• Construct fit for purpose crisis receival centres in turn freeing up policing and health resources.

• Jail diversion programs. Whilst at a scene, if a very minor offence occurs and the offender is clearly mentally unwell. Not unwell enough to go to hospital or a crisis centre and doesn’t need to be arrested – have the options of a jail diversion. Set them up into programs and rehabilitation short stay centres with no record against their name.

High Utiliser Diversion

• Identify the high utilisers in the community and target how to get them off the books.

• Implement programs and proactive engagement.

• Implement more training and back capture officers then embed in our recruit training at the police academy.

• A gun is a threat – but mental health is also a threat –officers need to be able to tackle both these issues.

• An improved data collection system around mental and behavioural health. Data is key to understanding where demand pressures and trends are allowing for proactive resourcing by all stakeholders.

• More frequent multi agency meetings and forums at a high level.