Overview
The Lake Placid Police Department refers people experiencing a mental health crisis to appropriate resources, reducing reliance on arrest under state Mental Hygiene Law.
- Agency: Lake Placid Police Department
- Location: Lake Placid, N.Y.
- Department size: Small (<25 officers)
- Practice started: July 2018
- Active
Problem
Many rural hospitals face challenges, including geographic isolation and overcrowding. County officials noticed repeated arrests under New York Mental Hygiene Law Section 9.41, which allows an officer to arrest an individual who appears mentally ill and behaves in a manner likely to result in serious harm to themselves or others, were further stressing hospitals and not addressing the root causes of an individual’s mental health crisis.
Police officers also respond to a wide variety of calls which does not always allow for individualized care during a response. While all police recruits receive crisis intervention training in New York, there is an opportunity to further supplement this training by collaborating with mental health professionals who specialize in crisis response. Mental health officials in Essex County recognized these gaps and sought to achieve a more personalized solution to mental health services during crisis response.
Solution
Program Description
Essex County Mental Health implemented the Law Enforcement Mental Health Referral System (LEMHRS) in 2018 to strengthen law enforcement responses and encourage continued care by mental health advocates. LEMHRS is a HIPAA-compliant web form that officers use when responding to a mental health call. The system is used throughout Essex County, with Lake Placid Police Department being one of the agencies that access it.
State and local law enforcement participated in meetings with Essex County Mental Health to create the LEMHRS form, developing informative questions, obtaining support from other agencies, and discussing eventual implementation. Jotform (a web-based form builder) hosts the form, which expedites communication among law enforcement, mental health providers, and individuals in need of assistance. Each participating police department in Essex County trained their officers through a series of internal meetings that outlined goals of the program, signs to look for during response to a mental health call, and how to make a referral.
When a Lake Placid police officer arrives at a call for service, the officer determines if an individual with a behavioral/mental health condition could benefit from coordination of a continued care plan, referral to a mental health services provider, and/or referral to a substance use services provider. Referrals are mandatory if an individual is arrested under the Mental Hygiene Law or has overdosed. Lake Placid Police Department policy encourages an officer to make a referral if there is any uncertainty about whether the person could benefit from additional care.
The responding officer completes the LEMHRS form with information about the individual and the situation, including the date, individual’s name, home address, contact information, circumstances surrounding police response, and whether charges were filed. The form also requires the individual’s last known location(s) to assist the mental health service providers in any follow-up. The reporting law enforcement officer provides their own name, department, contact information, and reason(s) for the referral. Since 2024, 9-1-1 dispatch participates in LEMHRS referrals, giving dispatchers the ability to make a referral after repeat phone calls for the same people.
Essex County Mental Health and the Mental Health Association of New York’s Essex County affiliate, non-for-profit mental health support and advocacy group, receive the form in real time and begin triage. The two entities work together to decide the best approach based on need and the situation. The appropriate entity then contacts the individual and offers access to services and support, which are voluntary, that match needs. Individuals who choose to participate receive care directly from mental health and substance use professionals who coordinate additional, continued follow-up with behavioral health services, such as one-on-one talk therapy, telehealth, crisis services, and continued care coordination.
LEMHRS is not a co-response program: Referral agencies do not meet officers in the field. If multiple forms are submitted at the same time, they are prioritized by the details provided and needs of the individuals. Crisis response is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and heightened emergency cases may obtain immediate response.
Essex County Mental Health seeks to secure signed HIPAA releases from people referred for mental health services; this facilitates the creation of future care plans once the individual is stable. If a HIPAA release is obtained, the mental health partners also follow-up with the referring officer, which allows police to verify they were offered resources and care. If the person no longer wishes to share information with law enforcement, HIPAA releases can be revoked at any time by the individual.
Quarterly meetings among LEMHRS partners are a vital part of ongoing program implementation. Partners across Essex County, including Essex County Mental Health, the Mental Health Association in Essex County, Essex County District Attorney’s Office, police departments, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, attend the meetings. Participants discuss challenges and improvements, share experiences, and develop policies and memos. Partners cannot discuss individual cases because HIPAA releases extend only to the department immediately involved. Individual law enforcement agencies discuss any individuals who signed a HIPAA release and may need further follow-up care or assistance with mental health partners between these meetings. Where appropriate, police departments and behavioral health care providers keep these individuals on their radar for any future calls. These meetings occurred monthly when the program initially began. Staff from Essex County Mental Health and the Mental Health Association also meet regularly to coordinate and reconcile follow-ups with referred individuals.
Referrals from the Lake Placid Police Department have increased annually since 2021. The largest growth occurred between 2022 and 2023: an 83 percent increase in referrals. The following figures include referrals from the Lake Placid police and four other agencies that participate in the program.
Year | LPPD Referrals | Essex County |
2021 | 22 | 201 |
2022 | 30 | 174 |
2023 | 55 | 259 |
2024 | 82 | 321 |
Total | 189 | 955 |
Funding
The state Office of Mental Health funds the Jotform subscription and all participating agencies in Essex County use existing personnel to staff the program.
Relevant Partnerships
Lake Placid Police Department works with several partners on continued implementation: the Essex County Community Services Board, Mental Health Association in Essex County, Essex County Mental Health, state Office of Mental Health, the New York State Police, Ticonderoga Police Department, Saranac Lake Police Department, and Essex County Sheriff’s Office.
Research
Supportive Research
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Vera Institute suggest that collaboration between police and mental health services effectively reduces reliance on jails for those with symptoms of mental illness and provides a greater chance of addressing the individual’s needs. Regular partner meetings, progress monitoring, and case management are critical to addressing crossover between the criminal justice and mental health systems.
SAMHSA’s Sequential Intercept Model identifies law enforcement training and responses, and data sharing with partners as key factors of effective diversion in Intercept 1. This model helps communities identify resources and gaps in services at each phase of a person’s interaction with the criminal justice system. Earlier phases in the Sequential Intercept Model aim to help the individual receive treatment assistance and diversion before increased interaction with law enforcement begins.
The Vera Institute offers information on Behavioral Health Crisis Alternatives: Shifting from Police to Community Responses. Case studies from Oregon, Washington, and Arizona encourage partnerships between police and mental health advocacy to promote safe responses to people experiencing mental health crisis. It also highlights key considerations of program development, such as funding, diversion at 9-1-1 dispatch, and the importance of educating and retraining officers.
Advice
Critical Success Factors
- Maintaining trust between law enforcement and mental health resource centers is crucial. Law enforcement must trust behavioral health facilities to provide proper referrals, and resource centers must trust that law enforcement will know when to properly refer someone in need. Continued communication and successful referrals contribute greatly to upholding trust between entities.
- Convening routine partner meetings fosters open discussion and builds relationships between participating agencies and improves implementation.
Lessons Learned
- Support from law enforcement executives is crucial for successful implementation. Lake Placid Police Department built support for the program by sharing examples of successful results.
- Collect HIPAA releases to increase officer investment and help ensure that the individual continues to receive appropriate care. Lake Placid Police Department saw that officers were more engaged and eager to refer once they knew individuals were being helped.
Published 06/2025