Chicago is bolstering its response to emergencies involving people suffering from mental illness to address glaring deficiencies laid bare by the Justice Department.
An eight-hour course developed in partnership with EMS System Hospitals will allow paramedics, 911 personnel, police officers and mental health providers to engage in live, “scenario-based” simulations at Fire Academy South, 1338 S. Clinton.
The morning class covers psychiatric and behavioral emergencies, signs and symptoms and recommended treatment. The afternoon covers “simulation scenarios” — complete with talking mannequins and actors posing as patients.
A simulation Monday featured a woman in a bar who was disoriented after failing to take her medication.
“Not every case is the same. Sometimes, you’ll have a behavioral emergency that mimics a medical emergency,” said Leslee Stein-Spencer, director of medical administration and regulatory compliance for the Chicago Fire Department.
“You respond together. Together, you can make a determination whether the patient should be transported to a hospital or a mental health care facility. It’s a team approach.”
Alexa James, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Chicago, said the eight-hour course is different than the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training certification because it’s “inter-agency” and “scenario-based.”
[For more of this story, written by Fran Spielman, go to http://chicago.suntimes.com/po...scathing-doj-report/]
Comments (0)