Document Type
Capstone
Abstract
Incidences of fatalities and injuries among populations with disabilities continue to occur during police interactions. There is an increased need to address this concern with a new method, or reform, to training that has not allowed law enforcement to properly and safely engage with those who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and mental health conditions. Occupational therapists can provide a collaborative approach to increasing law enforcement's awareness, knowledge, and confidence to these aforementioned 0 conditions. Law enforcement officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department viewed a training video on various conditions with a supplemental video with guest speakers and first-person perspectives on a particular disability. A pre-test survey and post-test survey were completed to assess for a growth in learning post training. Data reported 62% improvement in understanding Intellectual Disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and three mental health conditions (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder); as well as, I00% understanding of what Occupational Therapy is. This Capstone highlights the value of providing training from a healthcare professional, an occupational therapist, to improve law enforcement's understanding of various conditions in order to encourage safe practices when interacting with populations who have an invisible disability.
Publication Date
4-12-2021
Recommended Citation
Tabjula, Rekha, "Increasing Law Enforcement Understanding of Special Needs and Disability Populations: The Role of the Occupational Therapist" (2021). MOT Student Capstones. 78.
https://riches.cabarruscollege.edu/mot-student-capstones/78
