Ottawa Police Department trains for mental health crises

The majority of calls the Ottawa Police Department responds to involve some type of mental health concern, whether it be homelessness, addiction or depression law enforcement, and at each call, it is expected to protect and serve.

That’s not unlike what most police departments experience today.

In 2016, Police Chief Brent Roalson wanted his officers to be prepared to get to the root cause of the community’s issues by ensuring every officer complete a 40-hour crisis training program.

You know the need is there and it continues to be there.”

—  Ottawa Police Chief Brent Roalson

“It was in response to our community, you know the need is there and it continues to be there,” Roalson said.

Police Capt. Kyle Booras said the department has had 83 crisis-intervention team cases this year teaching officers different training on de-escalation techniques with people who are in crisis.

“For example, if there’s a call where someone is going through some type of mental health crisis, it gives different techniques officers can use to try and bring them down, so to speak,” he said.

All of Ottawa’s officers are required to take a weeklong course to become crisis intervention team certified. The department has six new officers who have not taken the course yet.

Booras said it’s important to have officers trained in crisis intervention and said officers use their training “many times on a daily basis.”

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health issue each year, with 1 in 20 experiencing a serious mental illness.

In 2019, the department partnered with Arukah Institute of Healing in Princeton, a mobile crisis and wellness service focusing on prevention, treatment and recovery in rural communities. Arukah assists law enforcement in Bureau, Marshall, Putnam, La Salle and Grundy counties.

Outreach and Fundraising Coordinator for Arukah Institute of Healing Lori Christopherson said Arukah provides crisis therapists and recovery specialists who work alongside or on behalf of the departments to support individuals struggling with suicide or a wide range of issues related to their wellbeing.

Booras said the program has aided the department if a situation warrants a social worker or clinician and connects individuals with appropriate services rather than hospitalization or entry into the criminal justice system.

“It certainly seems to be a beneficial program and that’s why we have partnered with them,” Booras said. “There are many personnel we work with daily to try and resolve some of the issues we have, such as the homeless problems we see here in town. The mental health issues that we have and sometimes those two things go hand in hand.”

In 2022, Roalson implemented We Never Walk Alone, a peer support program to assist members of law enforcement who might be struggling with mental health. Ottawa has six in-house members on its peer support team, made up of officers and dispatchers.

“It’s a change in philosophy and reading officers and recognizing the fact that we shoulder the burden and the brunt of a lot of concern and issues that people release on us,” Roalson said.

The program is confidential so that members of law enforcement feel comfortable reaching out for help.

“If they are having symptoms of let’s say PTSD, or having symptoms of anxiety or depression, they can reach out and get help for that, and it’s confidential. Now if they are a true danger to themselves or something like that then obviously that would be a time that it would not be,” Borras said.

Roalson said the department mandated crisis intervention training and requested aid from Arukah and We Never Walk Alone, because it is looking for a resolution, not to just cover the issue and move on.

“The mental health and crisis that take place whether it’s induced with drugs or alcohol, regardless, it’s something we need to address,” Roalson said. “We need to be a part of the solution as opposed to continuing to Band-aid.”