In May, an expedition formed by the police tutor, Ángel Blanc, the vice-president of Afesol, Cristian Gonzalez, and the coordinator of the Mental Health Unit of Fuengirola and Mijas, Israel Codina, sponsored by the Idiliq Foundation, travelled to Miami to train in the Memphis Model, in which the figure of the police officer does not provoke rejection during his intervention in a crisis situation in the person who suffers from a mental illness or/and is a drug user. Currently, CIT International's crisis intervention team has been invited to Mijas to further collaborate in the implementation of this way of working. "Now, they have an officer in the Mijas Police, who is internationally trained and certified to deal with people with mental illness, identify the signs and divert them to treatment and for these to be treated as we all deserve", said CIT International vice-president Hadbi W. Kaba. 

From the Mijas Town Hall, through the Social Services area, the councillor responsible, Hipólito Zapico (PSOE), explained that this collaboration arose during the pandemic: "We are very grateful for the welcome they received in Miami and we especially value the experience they can bring us to improve our suicide prevention and mental health plan". 

For his part, the police guardian and member of the SIMA (plainclothes unit), Ángel Blanc, pointed out that "the advantage of the Memphis Model is that "in the end the resources, which are generally scarce, are more optimised and the results are improved when they are coordinated". From now on, the aim is that "all the police have basic training in mental health, taking into account the profile of each agent, where we are seeking a police officer who is more empathetic, knows how to connect with people with mental health problems and awareness is essential to provide a much closer service without reducing professionalism. 

 

Officer Blanc also indicated that all the officers who make up the Mijas Local Police plainclothes unit, a total of 11 agents, "are qualified to give this course".
During the 40-hour training, among other issues, verbal de-escalation and empathy were addressed, and the resources available to them were explained. "Mainly, what we have learned is to fight against stigma, we have to sensitise the police so that they do not think that people with mental health problems are criminals, but that they are people who need help", Blanc explained.  

What is the Memphis Model?
It is an innovative first response model of police crisis intervention training to help people with mental disorders or addictions access medical treatment rather than placing them in the criminal justice system for illness-related behaviours. This model was first developed in 1988 and is also known as CIT. "We want to be effective with the crisis system, demonstrate education, empathy and find a way to help people with mental disorders," said CIT International Vice President Hadbi W. Kaba as part of the goals. 

Recognition in Mijas
Last Friday, during the celebration of the Mijas Local Police Day Gala, CIT International received a special mention for its collaboration in the training of Mijas officers in the Memphis Model. "We are very grateful to the Mijas Town Hall, its mayor, Josele González, and the councillor for Social Services, Hipólito Zapico, to the Local Police, to Afesol, for inviting us to coordinate access to mental health and give more rights to people with mental illness", said Kaba.
Along these lines, the vice-president of Afesol, Cristian González, pointed out that "in Miami they do a 40-hour course where they train the police in awareness-raising, education, de-escalation with different methods to be able to intervene with people who have a disability or have a mental health problem in different areas", adding “at times when they are in crisis, or considering suicide. That is something very important because they also train the police in their own self-care".
 

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