Belmont police hold symposium for mental health

“Mental health has been a concern for a long time, and the pandemic exacerbated the situation, such that we have a crisis here as well as in every part of our American society. Our friends, family and community members need support, yet treatment has become more difficult to access,” Vice Mayor Julia Mates said at the Nov. 4 public event.

Belmont officers who are part of the Crisis Assessment, Response & Education program, or C.A.R.E., held the public event in partnership with local mental health organizations to discuss how the department provides resources and information to help those with mental health issues and its policies. Representatives from San Mateo County Behavioral Health Services, StarVista, the San Mateo County Mental Health Assessment and Referral Team, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Notre Dame de Namur University attended and provided context on mental health in the county. The police hosted the event to bridge any gaps between the police and community about issues.

Conversations during the event focused on signs and symptoms of mental health, how to start a discussion on mental health, the history of treating mental illness in San Mateo County and improvements in how people are treated. Other topics included training law enforcement receives and the police response to mental health calls.

Belmont police Cpl. Brian Vogel, with the C.A.R.E. team, said the event was designed to help destigmatize mental illness and talk openly. C.A.R.E. provides officers with specialized mental health crisis training for crises. C.A.R.E. officers also follow up with victims and family members to offer support after a mental health crisis, including providing resources and feedback. There is followup to see how the experience went and what things police can improve on to provide better services. The program can also provide more one-on-one help with which people are often more comfortable. Mates noted mental health was essential to a thriving community. She said the City Council takes mental health seriously in Belmont and with school-aged children, citing the recent and successful creation of the C.A.R.E. program. The city has set up a Public Safety Committee that updates the public about police safety policies like the C.A.R.E. program and gathers community input.

Officer Sekope Tagilala, a member of the Belmont C.A.R.E team, said the team has four members of two supervisors and two officers.

“Our goal with the Belmont Police Department was to create this team to assist those in crisis as well as family and friends to the best of our ability. This is where the C.A.R.E. team comes into play,” Tagilala said.

Vogel also explained how police go through Crisis Intervention Training to recognize best practices for a mental health crisis, such as during a non-criminal barricade. Situations may involve police walking away from an incident and having trained mental health professionals handle the situation.

“We recognize when we have a non-criminal barricade when someone is in their own house, and they are by themselves and are suicidal, law enforcement going in may not be the answer,” Vogel said.

Keynote speaker Dr. Helen Marlo, chair of the clinical psychology department at Notre Dame de Namur University, stressed the importance of consciousness. The practice involves attending to yourself and knowing stress tolerance, what is important and understanding your thoughts and feelings. She also discussed different stress responses and how to best deal with stress.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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