“Psychiatric Ambulance” Provides Safe, Uncoercive Transport Of Individuals In Mental Health Crisis, Study Finds

Psychiatric News (5/29) reports, “Individuals having a mental health crisis who were transported to a hospital by a ‘psychiatric ambulance’ required fewer restraints or other coercive measures compared with individuals transported by the police, according to a report in Psychiatric Services.” This option is an alternative to law enforcement transporting patients, as police “usually receive limited training in managing psychiatric disorders and in responding to individuals experiencing psychiatric symptoms or crises, which may increase the risk for preventable escalation and the use of restrictive measures,” researchers wrote.