The San Marcos Police Department announced that all eligible frontline officers are now certified as Mental Health Peace officers, accounting for 59% of the department, according to a press release.
The certification requires an officer to have a minimum of two years of service, 74 hours of specialized instruction and a 24-hour Mental Health Officer course. Prior to the 24-hour course, officers must also complete a 40-hour crisis class and an eight-hour de-escalation class, according to Joseph Osborne, the Police Corporal in charge of the Mental Health Unit.
Osborne said the Mental Health Officer course teaches officers how to help the community, identify signs and symptoms of mental health issues, strategies for interviewing those who are experiencing mental health crises, and laws regarding emergency detention for mental health treatment.
“The number one benefit, I think that our chief and administration is striving for, is that no matter what officer responds to a call, [they are] a mental health certified officer,” Osborne said.
Kelly Castillo, a mental health specialist with SMPD, said the training utilizes virtual reality goggles to put someone in a situation where they address a mental health crisis, as opposed to role-playing.
“It’s as if you were responding to a call standing in someone’s front yard with their kid having a mental health crisis,” Castillo said. “And then you get to make the decisions from there.”
Castillo also said mental health matters to SMPD, and that part of keeping the community safe involves addressing mental health crises.
“Mental health isn’t a crime,” Castillo said. “…We’ve had a lot of conversations like this, I looked into it, it’s like 98% of Americans know when you’re having an emergency to call 911, but it’s a staggeringly smaller crisis to call 988, the suicide lifeline… This is such a unique part of policing, it’s not criminal.”
When individuals call the suicide and crisis hotline, or 988, in Texas, about 1-2% of callers require police intervention. Texas 988 call centers received the second-highest call volume in the U.S., however, the current system is struggling due to a high demand. Texas legislation has still not addressed the rising demand for the service, according to The Texas Tribune.
“People’s first reaction if they, or a loved one, is having a mental health crisis is to call the police,” Castillo said. “So why not equip the people responding to better handle what they’re walking into?”
Castillo said SMPD has proactive resources, such as follow-ups after an emergency detention, providing transportation and financial support to those in need, community presentations, providing knowledge about the Mental Health Unit at therapy offices and usage of a therapy canine. He said these programs aid in keeping individuals away from a future mental health crisis.
SMPD responded to 2,290 calls for service relating to mental health in 2023, 57% of which included a mental health certified officer. Of the certified officers that responded to the calls, 342 were joined by professional like Castillo, according to the San Marcos government website.
“I’m not a police officer; we can use that to our advantage,” Castillo said. “Sometimes, we show up, and [a person experiencing a mental health crisis doesn’t] call the police, maybe their mom or dad did. [They might say] ‘I dont want to talk to an officer.’ Okay, well, we have [a Mental Health Professional].”
Seth Watts, an assistant professor of criminal justice and criminology, said mental health knowledge in law enforcement is vital because mental health issues frequently overlap with substance use, homelessness and general crime.
“The police interact with a wide variety of populations,” Watts said. “They are the gatekeepers to the criminal justice system, and they frequently interact with vulnerable groups.”
Watts said crisis intervention training refines the approach to addressing issues by providing community support and de-escalation, as opposed to just making an arrest. He said the mental health training seemed to be a promising approach to community issues.
Mental health training for officers is set to continue once other officers in the force reach eligibility to become certified, according to Castillo. The press release mentions that state law requires the two-year rule to be eligible to take the required mental health training class, among other classes, such as first aid and de-escalation.
“Though it was a major goal for 2025, it’s going to continue on as officers age into the program,” Castillo said.
Anyone who is going through a mental health crisis is encouraged to call 988 or visit the official 988 Lifeline website. Additionally, they can contact SMPD or visit the mental health unit section on the San Marcos government website.