DATE: July 28, 2017
TO: Board of Mayor and Aldermen
FROM: Eric Stuckey, City Administrator
Deborah Faulkner, Police Chief
SUBJECT:
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Consideration of Memorandum of Understanding (COF Contract 2017-0133) with the Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System for Mental Health Instructional Support to the Franklin Police Department.
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Purpose
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide information to the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) to consider an agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System to provide specialized mental health training to the Franklin Police Department.
Background:
As the Franklin Police Department seeks to meet the needs of the community, the importance of Mental Health training for the Franklin Police personnel has become apparent. This is particularly true as it relates to our area veterans. Since the increase of war time service of our fellow citizens, the need for a deeper understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is needed to help support our police officer's de-escalation efforts during crisis events.
In 2016, Chief Deborah Faulkner provided an enhanced vision to increase the mental health training for the Franklin Police Department due to the increase in teenage suicides as well as mental health crisis calls for service in Franklin. While creating the department's two-day Basic Crisis Intervention course (BCIC) and certified Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) the department searched for qualified instructors. When officers attended the CIT training in Rutherford County, a Veterans Administration (VA) representative taught the PTSD and TBI courses. The officers as well as the Rutherford County CIT Coordinator, Kim Rush, highly recommended the VA for instruction in these two areas.
Financial Impact:
When implemented, there will be no cost to the City of Franklin due to the VA absorbing the exp...
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