PPAL's Police Pocket Guide hopes to…

Raise awareness of o Mental health concerns in youth o Family experience

Provide first responders resources to share with families about o 24/7 crisis supports o Local resources

Share tips on o Approaches for calming o Understanding risk o Explaining to families the role of police, next steps, and psychiatric evaluations

We know that mental health challenges are not always apparent when police are called for a youth in crisis

The Police Pocket Guide contains the following information:

What Families Need Police to Know

Is there a Way to Understand Behaviors?

Understanding the Family Experience

What Helps Improve Safety for Youth

Suicide Prevention

Police Pocket Guide Resources for Families/ First Responders o Additional resources

At PPAL, we work to create a better world for our children, support our communities, and focus on the importance of families. The effect of racism and racial trauma on our children’s mental health is real. We know that the disparity in getting care for children in communities of color shows up every day.

Now more than ever, we continue to pursue meaningful and enduring change to overcome acts that would threaten to corrode the fibers of our community. As we work to build, protect, and support our communities, there’s no better tool than our collective power. We stand ready to listen and work with individuals and organizations to create a more just world.

PPAL created this guide with assistance from Wayside Youth and Family Support Network in 2001. A grant from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health paid for development and printing. The 2008 revision and printing were funded by grants from the Boston Foundation and the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership. The most recent version was funded by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.

Big thanks go to project consultant Bekah Sager, who has been gathering behind-the-scenes info, including a list of Massachusetts’ School Resource Officers (SROs), principals, and school districts.