The Legislation
Assembly Member Brian Maienschein introduced AB 1065 to create a Mental Health Help Program that aids in training law enforcement officers to assist, and engage safely with, people living with a mental illness and allows taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to the fund on their California tax returns.
Why We Need It
1 in 4 people shot and killed by law enforcement between 2015-2020 had a mental health condition (source: U.S. Department of Justice).
The CIT programs enhance communication and identify mental health resources for assisting persons in crisis and ensure that law enforcement, which usually is the first responder, has all the education and tools to safely resolve the crisis.
NAMI CA’s CIT programs provide law enforcement with intensive training,
including:
- Learning from individuals and families impacted by mental illness, mental health professionals and experienced officers in the community.
- Verbal and non-verbal de-escalation skills.
- Scenario-based training on responding to mental health crises.
The CIT program gives law enforcement tools to perform their job more effectively and, most importantly, safely. It helps keep people living with a mental illness out of jail, off the streets and enrolled into treatment where they are more likely to get on the road to recovery.
Petition to Support AB 1065
NAMI California supports AB 1065, a bill to help improve the outcomes of crisis calls involving people who are mentally ill. You can help support this legislation by signing the support letter.
Sign the petition30-Second Survey: Crisis Response
Have you had to access emergency response/crisis services to get help for yourself or a loved one? How was the response? What would have improved the experience? Share your answers with our 30-second survey on crisis response.