Submission Deadline: Thursday, April 30th
From the Mental Health Commission of Canada:
The Mental Health Commission of Canada Announces a Request for Proposals for a study of Types of Interactions, Attitudes, Experiences and Feedback: When People Living with Severe Mental Health Illnesses Interact with the PoliceFor the complete document, please click here (PDF)The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is requesting proposals from qualified candidates to conduct a study of types of interactions and experiences with, attitudes towards, and feedback for the police from the perspective of persons living with severe mental health problems and illnesses.
Background
The MHCC is an arms-length, federally-funded, non-profit organization. It was created to focus national attention on mental health issues and to work to improve the health and social outcomes of people living with mental health problems and illnesses. The Government of Canada established the Commission in 2007 in response to the findings of a Senate-generated report Out of the Shadows at Last – Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada (Standing Committee on Social Affairs, 2006).
Purpose of the Study
Therefore, the purpose of the study will be (1) to examine the perceptions of persons living with severe mental illness1 of their interactions with the police, (2) to determine the attitudes of persons with a severe mental illness* toward police in general and (3) to solicit feedback that persons with a severe mental illness would like to convey to police. It is hoped that these data will contribute to the development of evidence-based best practice guidelines for police services.
* “Severe mental illness” in this study will refer to disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (manic-depression), and Alzheimer's disease which significantly disrupt a person's ability to think, feel, and relate to others and to their environment [Cotton, D. & Zanibbi, K. (2003). Police officers’ knowledge about mental illness. Canadian Journal of Police and Security Services, 1: 136-143.].
