Does your personnel
have the proper training
to spot and handle
mental health issues?
Law Enforcement Mental Health Trainings
- Understanding what someone with mental illness may be thinking
- Real World and Practical tips to de-escalating someone in crisis
- Common issues when working with someone in crisis — and their family members
- Challenges people with mental illness face — and ways officers can help.
. . . and more.
As a society, we frequently talk about mental illness crisis, because crisis in mental illness is very public whereas recovery with mental illness is very private. Doctors, politicians, and family members remark on the best ways to help and support people experiencing these disorders, primarily about how to “avoid bad outcomes.” But there’s another discussion that’s just as important: talking with the people who live successful lives in spite of such illnesses — people such as Gabe Howard. His keynote, “This Bipolar Life,” is an eye-opening presentation from the perspective of someone living successfully in spite of bipolar disorder.
Three take-a-ways:
- Law enforcement generally sees people with mental illness in crisis, they need to know we can — and do — get well
- People with mental illness have a unique set of challenges — we can’t just “take our meds” and get better. Not all setbacks are because of our lack of dedication to wellness.
- People with mental illness come from all walks of life and from all types of homes.
. . . and more.
* Their is an optional Q&A section that allows Gabe and the audience to connect on a more personal level and directly answer questions that may be on the officer’s minds.
Gabe with Governor Mike DeWine (R-Oh)
Addressing the Public Addiction and Mental Illness Policy Taskforce
Gabe’s Dedication to Law Enforcement
Gabe Howard is bipolar. Before reaching recovery, he contemplated suicide every day as far back as he can remember. But today, he not only manages his mental health, but also helps officers and other first responders know his struggle and how they can effectively respond to mental health emergencies. One police sergeant described Gabe’s training as a “powerful, high-octane narrative of his unique, lived experience.”
He is an experienced CIT trainer with over 10 years experience working with law enforcement and other first responders. These trainings can be tailored to your needs or you may choose from one of two pre-written options. His training focuses on having the right tools to recognize and de-escalate volatile confrontations.
Gabe hosts the weekly, award-winning “Inside Mental Health” podcast for Healthline Media. He has been featured on every major network TV network (NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX) and appeared in numerous publications, including WebMD, Healthline.com, PsychCentral.com, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal.
TESTIMONIALS
“We decided to bring Gabe to our National Co-Responder Conference to speak to his lived experience with bipolar disorder. We recognize that those living with a mental health diagnosis often must navigate the complexities of multiple systems and Gabe displayed an ability to speak to those challenges. He is a transparent and charismatic individual who is able to connect with a wide array of individuals – in our case co-responders and first responders.”
“Gabe’s speech taught me about suicide, mental illness, and that this can happen to anyone. He weaved in his family, his childhood, and I left realizing that people with mental illness look — and are — just like everyone else. I still can’t believe how little I knew.”
“Gabe is a highly engaging speaker and trainer who leverages his storytelling and humor to connect with his audiences around difficult topics. As one of our Working Minds (suicide prevention in the workplace) trainers, I have seen firsthand his ability to communicate clearly and compellingly. Highly recommend!
“Gabe is natural at connecting with people from every walk of life. His story is a powerful, high-octane narrative of his unique, lived experience. The audience walks away knowing much more about mental health struggles after hearing Gabe present. I highly recommend Gabe’s speaking engagements to any person working in Health Care, Law Enforcement, or any field encountering crisis situations.”