TCOLE Crisis Intervention and Mental Health — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Texas Health and Safety Code 573.001, when may an officer take a person into custody without a warrant for emergency detention?
- Whenever a family member requests it
- When the person has been previously treated for mental illness
- When the officer has reason to believe the person has a mental illness and, because of it, poses a substantial risk of serious harm to self or others unless immediately restrained, and there is not enough time to get a warrant (Correct answer)
- Only when the person has committed a felony
Correct answer: When the officer has reason to believe the person has a mental illness and, because of it, poses a substantial risk of serious harm to self or others unless immediately restrained, and there is not enough time to get a warrant
Section 573.001 requires reason to believe the person has a mental illness, a substantial risk of serious harm to self or others unless immediately restrained, and insufficient time to obtain a warrant. A mental health history alone is not enough.
Question 2: After taking a person into custody under an emergency detention, where must the officer take them?
- The county jail
- The nearest appropriate inpatient mental health facility or a facility deemed suitable by the local mental health authority (Correct answer)
- Their residence
- A juvenile detention center
Correct answer: The nearest appropriate inpatient mental health facility or a facility deemed suitable by the local mental health authority
An emergency detention is a mental health intervention, not an arrest. The officer must transport the person to the nearest appropriate inpatient mental health facility, or another suitable facility, and not to jail.
Question 3: Which approach is most consistent with de-escalation when dealing with a person in an apparent mental health crisis who is not an immediate threat?
- Issue rapid, loud commands to establish control
- Slow the pace, give space, speak calmly, and use time and distance to gain voluntary cooperation (Correct answer)
- Immediately use physical restraint
- Ignore the person's statements and focus on the paperwork
Correct answer: Slow the pace, give space, speak calmly, and use time and distance to gain voluntary cooperation
Crisis intervention training teaches that when there is no immediate threat, time, distance, and calm communication reduce the chance of escalation and the need for force.
Question 4: Which behavior is most likely to indicate that a person may be experiencing a mental health crisis rather than intentional noncompliance?
- Responding to questions with clear answers
- Disorganized speech, delusional statements, or responding to things the officer cannot see or hear (Correct answer)
- Providing identification when asked
- Standing with hands visible
Correct answer: Disorganized speech, delusional statements, or responding to things the officer cannot see or hear
Disorganized thinking, delusions, and hallucinations are common signs of a mental health crisis. They can make a person unable to understand or follow commands.
Question 5: Texas law enforcement agencies may use a magistrate's order for emergency apprehension in some cases. In an emergency detention under 573.001, what must the officer do with respect to documentation at the facility?
- Nothing; the facility handles all paperwork
- Prepare a written notification of the emergency detention stating the circumstances and the reasons for it (Correct answer)
- File a criminal complaint against the person
- Complete a juvenile referral
Correct answer: Prepare a written notification of the emergency detention stating the circumstances and the reasons for it
The officer must prepare a written notification of emergency detention. It must state the person's identity, the officer's belief that detention was needed, and the facts supporting it, including the person's behavior and any witness statements.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes a 'Crisis Intervention Team' (CIT) model?
- A SWAT unit for armed barricades
- A specially trained group of officers who work with mental health providers to respond to behavioral health calls and divert people from jail to treatment (Correct answer)
- A unit that investigates only suicides
- A civilian review board
Correct answer: A specially trained group of officers who work with mental health providers to respond to behavioral health calls and divert people from jail to treatment
CIT programs train officers in mental illness and de-escalation and partner them with mental health services. The aim is safer outcomes and diversion to treatment.
