Roswell Police Train to Deal with Developmental Disabilities

When it comes to policing the community, law enforcement and emergency workers often face the difficult task of dealing with individuals with developmental disabilities. So how do they handle it?

As of this week, every officer in the Roswell Police Department will know exactly how to handle those unique situations, Spokeswoman Lisa Holland told Roswell Patch. On Wednesday, Dec. 5, All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) will train thirty Roswell police officers on how best to deal with individuals with developmental disabilities when they encounter them on emergency or law enforcement calls, according to the AADD press release.

"One hundred percent of our officers will have been certified after this next class," said Holland.

Through the Justice and Developmental Disabilities program, the Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) is a collaboration of professionals helps ensure persons with mental illnesses and other brain disorders receive treatment.

According to Roswell police, the program includes a law enforcement training component delivered via a forty-hour course curriculum approved by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council as follows:

• Classroom instructional training involving various mental health topics that address mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases
• Site visits to local emergency receiving facilities and state psychiatric hospitals
• Performance-based training involving the development of de-escalation techniques and crisis intervention skills via role-play scenarios

"Law enforcement officers who successfully complete the course are equipped with the skills necessary to safely and effectively respond to individuals with mental health needs and in crisis," said Holland in a written statement.

The AADD has trained more than 1,000 law enforcement officials, judges, and attorneys on developmental disabilities, in 29 counties throughout the state, according to their press release.