When funded, the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, in consultation with the criminal justice training commission, must develop and adopt a model policy for use by law enforcement agencies relating to a law enforcement officer’s referral of a person to a behavioral health agency after receiving a report of threatened or attempted suicide. The model policy must complement the criminal justice training commission’s crisis intervention training curriculum.

Finding—Intent—2016 c 158: “The legislature finds that law enforcement officers may respond to situations in which an individual has threatened harm to himself or herself, but that individual does not meet the criteria to be taken into custody for an evaluation under the involuntary treatment act. In these situations, officers are encouraged to facilitate contact between the individual and a mental health professional in order to protect the individual and the community. While the legislature acknowledges that some law enforcement officers receive mental health training, law enforcement officers are not mental health professionals. It is the intent of the legislature that mental health incidents are addressed by mental health professionals.” [ 2016 c 158 § 1.]