Just a fraction of the state’s police officers have completed training that is considered the “gold standard” for law enforcement to better respond to mental health emergency calls.About 16% of all 2,900 sworn police officers in New Hampshire have.
NHPR’s All Things Considered host spoke with Dr. Julie Balaban, a psychiatrist who specializes in children and adolescents, about what services are available for teens in crisis, and what gaps remain in the state’s mental health system.
In the wake of the police shooting of a Gilford teenager, mental health experts say many families in New Hampshire face difficult challenges with their children.
The shooting death of 17-year-old Mischa Fay in Gilford on New Year’s Day is raising questions about the best way to respond to people in psychiatric distress who may pose a threat.