EPCSO REGION VIII TRAINING ACADEMY TRAINING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Mental Health Peace Officer Training Course
REGION VIII TRAINING ACADEMY APRIL 2009- Beginning April 8, 2009, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will provide each of its deputies with Mental Health Officer Training that will result in state certification as a Mental Health Officer.
This training covers the legal aspects of mental health commitments, liability issues’ mental disorders, and mental disabilities. In addition, it deals with a variety of developmental disabilities including epilepsy, cerebral palsy and hearing impairments. Other areas covered include:
- indicators of mental illness,
- understanding mental illness
- documenting the interpersonal relations necessary to effectively work with the mentally ill, their families, and the mental health system
- intervention strategies for dealing with both low and high risk situations.
- interactions with citizens suffering from traumatic incidents or victimization.
The District Attorney’s Office will be teaching a portion of the class titled “Law & the mentally ill”- this aids the Deputy, once the subject is recognized as mentally ill, in guiding the individual to the proper channels / resources for assistance. 
“Proper training in dealing with the diversity in our community is an important aspect of maintaining our credibility. We will continue to look at our training need & respond appropriately to ensure the community continues to have confidence in our ability to provide the level of service they have come to expect”- said SHERIFF RICHARD WILES
The course is set to take place April 8-10, 2009 at the Sheriff’s Office Region VIII Training Academy.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in March of 2001 was the first Sheriff’s Office in the State of Texas to be Internationally Accredited from CALEA and is now the recipient of the First CALEA Tri-Arc award in Texas (4th in the Nation) to have accreditations in: Law Enforcement, Communications, Training Academy.