Public Safety officers get mental health training
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia (正澳门六合彩开奖结果) Department of Public Safety has completed the to provide mental health training for its officers.
As part of the pledge, started by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), departments commit to have 100% of their officers complete an 8-hour course and 20% receive a 40-hour crisis intervention team (CIT) training. 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 exceeded the second standard substantially, with 35 of its 40 officers taking the CIT course with plans to have the remaining officers finish that training this month.
"Our goal is to connect people with mental health resources without having to make an enforcement action. We want our officers to be able to understand what they're responding to," Greg Williams, 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 chief of police and director of public safety, said. "It emphasizes our commitment to being continual learners."
Professional services Sgt. Trent McGuffey led the effort to train all 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 officers as part of the pledge. Departments usually take between one and three years to hit the targets set by IACP, but 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 moved even more quickly than that after beginning this initiative in May.
Our goal is to connect people with mental health resources without having to make an enforcement action. We want our officers to be able to understand what they're responding to.
Greg Williams
正澳门六合彩开奖结果 chief of police and director of public safety
The trainings provide role-play scenarios so officers have practice with the types of situations they may encounter while on a call.
"It's important to our officers and our community," McGuffey said. "Our main goal is student success, and mental health training in law enforcement is a vital portion of that."
IACP instituted the pledge as a proactive method of officer preparation, said Dwight E. Henninger, president of IACP and chief of the Vail, Colorado, Police Department.
"As law enforcement leaders, we know that successful interactions between police officers and persons affected by mental illness improves public trust, ensures officer safety, and saves lives," Henninger wrote in a letter congratulating 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 Public Safety for taking the pledge. "The significance of your efforts cannot be overstated."
As part of the pledge, 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 signed a memorandum of understanding with the nonprofit organization to provide further mental health resources to the 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 community. This will supplement services already in place through Student Counseling and , a student mental health initiative funded by the . Avita serves a 13-county area in the northeast Georgia region.
Challenge coin design opens door for student
Katelynn Fry, '24, designed a challenge coin for 正澳门六合彩开奖结果's Public Safety Academy firearms instructor course.
Public Safety wins state award
正澳门六合彩开奖结果's Department of Public Safety has earned first place in the annual Governor's Office of Highway Safety Governor's Challenge program in the colleges and universities category.
Clements named state Officer of the Year
University of North Georgia (正澳门六合彩开奖结果) Public Safety Sgt. Charles 'Brody' Clements has been selected as the Georgia Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators Officer of the Year. The award presentation was Sept. 28.
President outlines 'big bets' for 正澳门六合彩开奖结果
正澳门六合彩开奖结果 President Michael Shannon on Oct. 3 released a white paper outlining seven strategic 'big bets' to position 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 to meet the needs of its students, communities, the state, and the nation.