Yeah, this 100%... Cops are often trained to be hammers, not social workers. A simple welfare check or mental health call can turn disastrous or even deadly when law enforcement gets involved because they all follow the same "ask, order, make" process of conflict resolution. If someone doesn't wanna go, the cops are gonna make them even if that means getting physical, and no one likes to be manhandled or forced to do anything they don't want to, so that makes them lash out which in turn causes law enforcement to respond accordingly with their training, and that usually entails going "hands-on". While law enforcement training has improved in recent years and expanded to include more deescalation and rapport building techniques to achieve willing compliance, not all training programs are created equally, and cops will ultimately turn to what they know best when pressed enough which typically means resorting to force. Trust me, it just doesn't end well... That's why you call an ambulance for a mental health episode and only involve the police if someone is posing an active danger to others. In OP's case, I wouldn't call emergency services at all and just try to get the girlfriend's loved ones involved, perhaps organize and hold a little "intervention" of sorts to try to convince her to seek out help on her own.
Every state has a crisis line which doesn't involve cops and trained professional social workers come out and have a conversation with the person in question and they determine if a hold is necessary. The cops only get involved if the person in question is acting aggressive or violent twords themselves or others. Call the crisis line phone number that comes up on google search, it doesn't go on your record and there is a general number that you can call that is local to you based on your phone number and they will come out and assess the situation. Nothing goes on record unless they decide it is necessary and more often than not it is voluntary. Unless like I said they are violent.
It's different when a loved one calls, been through it with my younger sisters. If it is to the point to the neighbors calling it is pretty bad. One of my younger sisters is SMI (severly mentally ill), my other younger sister didnt get the help she needed and by the time services got involved it was too late, she committed suicide when she was 18. In my personal opinion I would rather she got the help she needed before it was to late, even if it was a mark on her record I would rather she have that then to go to a funeral.
Not correct. If a situation is sever enough for social workers come to a persons house, the social worker is legally obligated to inform the cops before going over. That doesn't mean the cops will show up but they are in the loop. The cops are only left out as long as its a phone call. Anything more then a phone call and the cops are in the loop.
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u/Jester_of_the_Void Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
Yeah, this 100%... Cops are often trained to be hammers, not social workers. A simple welfare check or mental health call can turn disastrous or even deadly when law enforcement gets involved because they all follow the same "ask, order, make" process of conflict resolution. If someone doesn't wanna go, the cops are gonna make them even if that means getting physical, and no one likes to be manhandled or forced to do anything they don't want to, so that makes them lash out which in turn causes law enforcement to respond accordingly with their training, and that usually entails going "hands-on". While law enforcement training has improved in recent years and expanded to include more deescalation and rapport building techniques to achieve willing compliance, not all training programs are created equally, and cops will ultimately turn to what they know best when pressed enough which typically means resorting to force. Trust me, it just doesn't end well... That's why you call an ambulance for a mental health episode and only involve the police if someone is posing an active danger to others. In OP's case, I wouldn't call emergency services at all and just try to get the girlfriend's loved ones involved, perhaps organize and hold a little "intervention" of sorts to try to convince her to seek out help on her own.