Left alone when the cops go home: evaluating a post-mental health crisis assistance program

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a police department's Post-Crisis Assistance Program (PCAP) for consumers who experienced a police-abated mental health crisis. The authors analyzed three questions: First, does PCAP reduce a consumer's future mental health calls for service (CFS)? Second, does PCAP reduce a consumer's odds of being arrested? Third, does PCAP reduce the odds of a consumer being taken into emergency protective custody (EPC)? Design/methodology/approach – The authors use propensity score matching to analyze data from a sample of individuals (n=739) who experienced a police-abated mental health crisis. Findings – The authors find that PCAP consumers generated fewer mental health CFS, were less likely to be arrested, and were less likely to be taken into EPC than non-PCAP consumers six months following a police-abated mental health crisis. Research limitations/implications – The research only examined outcomes six months after a mental health crisis. The authors encourage future research to examine whether the benefits of PCAP persist over longer periods of time. Practical implications – The study demonstrates that partnerships between police departments and local mental health groups can help police officers better serve citizens with mental health conditions. Originality/Value – To the knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the impact of a PCAP for citizens experiencing police-abated mental health crises.