Mental Health Training Slated For Aurora Police: Chief

AURORA, IL — Every officer in the Aurora Police Department will undergo specialized training to help them communicate better with subjects who have mental health issues. Chief Kristen Ziman committed the department up for the One Mind Campaign, which trains officers have successful interactions with people affected by mental illness. Ziman said officers are often first responders to our nation’s mental health and addiction crisis, and while the department already outpaces similar-sized agencies with mental health training, as a whole, it’s not enough.

All of the agency’s 280 or so sworn officers will be trained in mental first aid for public safety, which includes how to de-escalate a mental health crisis and how to recognize signs of mental health challenges in their peers. Officers will learn how to start conversations with those peers, and who to contact for support.

The training obligation will be fulfilled over the next couple of weeks, she says. The end goal is to have fewer violent confrontations and increased safety for everyone. Ziman shared the message about the One Mind Campaign Thursday morning on the department’s Facebook page.

"The difference between someone getting the help they need or suffering in silence could be a friend, parent, teacher or coach who knows what to look for and how to engage people in open conversation. When that person is a police officer, the skills taught in Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety can literally mean the difference between life and death."

One Mind was launched by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in October of 2017.

Meanwhile, Kane County has been hosting its own Crisis Intervention Training sessions for area officials. In October, 26 officers from 13 area police forces went through a weeklong training. The county is about to hold its second week of training Nov. 27 - Dec. 1 for another 26 officers from Kane County agencies, according to a spokesperson with the Kane County State's Attorney's Office.

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