Callers & Mental Illness

Guidance on dealing with callers who are experiencing a mental health crisis

"Studies show that those with a diagnosed mental illness don't commit any more crime than the rest of the population, yet they are 17% more likely to be the victims of crime."

In recent years calls with individuals who have mental illness have been covered in the media more and more and awareness of mental illness has increased as well. It's important that we as dispatchers are well trained to handle these types of calls, especially with the increased scrutiny. This course provides information regarding multiple mental illnesses and additional steps dispatchers can take and questions to ask to help better prepare officers for the call.

After this training you will be able to:

  1. Better recognize common mental illnesses and their symptoms.
  2. Ask pertinent questions to better assist callers reporting a party with mental illness.
  3. Understand the perspective of a caller who is suffering from or with someone suffering from mental illness.
  4. Utilize verbal de-escalation techniques to help callers experiencing mental health crises.
  5. Recognize approaches that will allow the caller to be more cooperative and build trust with you as the dispatcher.
  6. Provide officers pertinent information to be able to best determine how they handle the call.


Your Instructor


The Impact Dispatch Team
The Impact Dispatch Team

Jennifer Hendrick

Jennifer is the Co-founder of Impact Dispatch. Currently the center she works with is law only, however, she has many years of Police, Fire, and EMS experience. She is married to a Paramedic and loves to pick his brain. She is, and has been, a trainer in the public and private sector for over 30 years. She loves to see people excel in their careers. She, however, is camera shy so stays behind the scenes. Her passion for training led her to work together with Halcyon to create Impact Dispatch.

Halcyon Frank

Halcyon is the co-founder of Impact Dispatch. She is a full-time dispatcher for an agency dispatching law, fire, and EMS. She previously was at a large law enforcement agency and has experience with training and the development of training curricula at her previous agency and in the private sector. Halcyon leads the development of the online training programs and the presentation of on-site trainings. She enjoys being able to combine her loves of dispatching and teaching, while being fueled by coffee.


Course Curriculum


  Introduction
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Common Types of Mental Illness
Available in days
days after you enroll
  From the Caller's Perspective
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

Get started now!