SB 11: Peace officer training: mental health.

Existing law requires specified categories of law enforcement officers to meet training standards pursuant to courses of training certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Existing law requires POST to include in its basic training course adequate instruction in the handling of persons with developmental disabilities or mental illness, or both. Existing law also requires POST to establish and keep updated a continuing education classroom training course relating to law enforcement interaction with developmentally disabled and mentally ill persons.

This bill would require POST to review the training module relating to persons with a mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance abuse disorder in its basic training course, and develop additional training to better prepare law enforcement officers to recognize, deescalate, and appropriately respond to persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance use disorders. The bill would require that this training be at least 15 hours, address issues relating to stigma, be culturally relevant and appropriate, include training scenarios and facilitated learning activities, and be included in the current hour requirement of the regular basic course.

The bill would also require POST to establish and keep updated a classroom-based continuing training course that includes instructor-led active learning relating to behavioral health and law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, and substance use disorders. The bill would require that this continuing training course be at least 3 consecutive hours. The bill would require this course be made available to each law enforcement officer with a rank of supervisor or below and who is assigned to patrol duties or to supervise officers who are assigned to patrol duties.

This bill would require implementation of the training module and continuing training course no later than August 1, 2016.