Chapter 279 |
2023 -- S 1049 Enacted 06/22/2023 |
A N A C T |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- POLICE OFFICERS - COMMISSION ON STANDARDS AND TRAINING |
Introduced By: Senators Burke, Tikoian, Quezada, LaMountain, McKenney, Raptakis, and F. Lombardi |
Date Introduced: May 19, 2023 |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
SECTION 1. Section 42-28.2-8.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-28.2 entitled "Police |
Officers — Commission on Standards and Training" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
42-28.2-8.3. Educational requirements — National certified mental health first aid |
training Educational requirements — National certified mental health training. |
(a) The commission on standards and training shall prepare and publish mandatory training |
standards to provide instructions for police officers in identifying recognizing the possible |
existence of a mental disorder and handling of complaints involving mental health/substance abuse |
use emergencies, and victims, witnesses, or suspects with mental illness or substance use disorders |
and shall develop guidelines for law enforcement responses to incidents involving such persons. |
The course of instruction shall comply with the certified National Council of Behavioral Health |
Mental Health First Aid Program (MHFA) for law enforcement, or an International Certified Crisis |
Intervention Team (ICCIT) training program, or other best practice training recognized by the |
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Instruction and the guidelines shall include: |
(1) Identifying and recognizing Recognizing the possible existence of a mental illness or |
substance use disorders for the benefit of victims and witnesses, the availability of civil remedies |
and community resources for persons experiencing mental health emergencies, and the protection |
of persons with mental illness or substance use disorders and for law enforcement officers engaging |
such persons; |
(2) Providing information to law enforcement officers to recognize the signs and symptoms |
of common mental illnesses and substance use disorders, de-escalating crisis situations safely, and |
initiating timely referral to mental health and substance abuse use resources available in the |
community. |
(b) The commission shall include training in all curricula for recruits and in-service |
trainees, in all police academies operating or certified by the commission. All law enforcement |
trainees shall be certified by the National Council of Behavioral Health in Mental Health First Aid, |
or an International Certified Crisis Intervention Team (ICCIT) training program, or other best |
practice training recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). |
(c) All law enforcement trainees shall participate in the course of basic training for law |
enforcement officers, established in this section, as part of their required certification process. |
(d) Training presenters shall include a behavioral health practitioners practitioner with |
expertise in the delivery of direct services to individuals experiencing mental health or substance |
abuse use emergencies, and may also include police officers who are certified trainers in the |
respective training being delivered and victims, witnesses, and suspects with lived experience of |
mental illness and consumer-survivors i.e. individuals with mental illness or substance use |
disorders. Training presentations may utilize the staff of community-based mental health treatment |
facilities. |
(e) The course of instruction, the learning and performance objectives, the standards for |
training, and the guidelines shall be developed by the Rhode Island municipal police training |
committee commission in consultation with groups and individuals having an interest and expertise |
in the field of mental health and community-based treatment. |
(f) The Rhode Island municipal police training committee commission periodically shall |
include within its in-service training curriculum a course of instruction on handling complaints |
from or against persons with mental illness or substance use disorders, consistent with the |
provisions of subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2). |
(g) As used in this section, the following words and terms shall have the following |
meanings: |
(1) “Law enforcement officer” shall mean any officer of a municipal police department or |
a department of the state. |
(2) “Consumer-survivor” shall mean any individual suffering from with lived experience |
of a mental health disability condition or substance abuse use disorder. |
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC003040 |
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