Collaboration is key to local mental health response
Courtesy of the Mountain View Police Department
Lt. Armando Espitia, leader of MVPD’s Crisis Negotiation Team, left, works with a colleague during a field operation.
More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, it should come as no surprise the stressors of home confinement, financial difficulty and the threat of illness and even death have weighed heavily on many. Recognizing this, local agencies are fortifying existing mental health services and launching new efforts to assist individuals struggling with crisis. A recent incident in Mountain View illustrates the strides they’re taking to adapt and work cohesively together to address rising demands for help.
(Photo: ALLISON HARMAN/The Stanford Daily)
on February 18, 2021
This story contains references to a student in a mental health crisis that may be troubling to some readers and includes a list of resources for students at the end.
Amid student calls to rethink police presence on campus and in mental health situations, the Stanford Department of Public Safety (SUDPS) is often still the first response for mental health emergency calls.
On Monday, officers responding to a call entered a student residence carrying a gun with rubber bullets. Rubber bullets are considered less-than-lethal force but still dangerous raising questions about when and why officers are authorized to use force when responding to mental health emergency calls.