The Los Angeles Police Department’s Mental Illness Project has been honored as a “Bright Idea” award recipient by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

The award was given on March 29, and the LAPD program was one of 36 government initiatives that were honored as “Bright Ideas”.

The Mental Illness Project uses specially-trained LAPD officers and clinicians from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to manage incidents involving persons suffering from a mental health crisis.

The goal is to minimize violent encounters with law enforcement and to provide a safe and humane treatment for unstable individuals.

As a specialized mental health and law enforcement response unit, the program trains officers to think like a mental health clinician, and clinicians to understand the role of law enforcement.

Officers and clinicians employ an array of options from referrals for service, hospitalization and management of the subject within the jail system.

The “Bright Ideas” awards are given to healthcare, education, performance management, civic engagement, and service delivery programs.

For information, visit www.consensusproject.org/learningsites.a