Corporal T. Parker George joined the University of Georgia Police Department in 2020 because he wanted to support his fellow UGA students.
“Policing at UGA is all about helping students and our community partners,” said George, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ sociology department in 2022 and is currently enrolled in the School of Law’s Master in the Study of Law program.
One of the biggest challenges in modern policing, George said, is “seeing the signs” of individuals with mental health challenges and getting them the help they need. This summer, George was one of the most enthusiastic participants in Mental Health First Aid, a new training initiative at UGA provided jointly by the UGA Police Department and the Division of Student Affairs.
The early intervention training, created and administered by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, teaches any employee or member of the public the skills they need to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges as well as how to provide initial support until they can connect with appropriate professional help.
People trained in Mental Health First Aid learn to identify the risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, strategies to help someone who is in crisis, and how to reach out and offer resources of where to turn for help. Topics covered include depression, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis and substance use disorder.
As part of the daylong training, university police, student affairs staff and other UGA employees participated in role-playing scenarios that show them how to navigate mental health concerns and direct students in need to the appropriate resources.
The training also covers the importance of self-care and how to develop an action plan that emphasizes non-judgmental communication skills.
“We’ll give you tips about how to respond to people with mental health and substance abuse challenges,” said facilitator Julia Buwick, a Community of Care Coordinator in UGA Student Care and Outreach, at the beginning of the July 25 training session. “If you leave today feeling more comfortable about having these conversations, then we have done our job.”
This collaboration builds on a long history of partnerships between the UGA Police Department and the Division of Student Affairs, said Beau Seagraves, associate vice president for student well-being within the Division of Student Affairs.
“Our police are often the first responders who must identify concerning behavior by students that might be mental health related,” Seagraves said. “Having well-trained police officers is imperative for our students to receive the mental health care they need.”
More information about this training can be found at https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/.
P. Daniel Silk, the university’s associate vice president for public safety, compared this initiative to Crisis Intervention Team training — a 40-hour program that teaches law enforcement how to improve community responses to mental health challenges. UGA police officers, including George, have received the training as new officers for more than 20 years, and Mental Health First Aid training builds on that fundamental knowledge.
“Because Student Affairs and the UGA Police Department work so closely together, it’s important to have a chance to learn together about such an important topic,” Silk said.
George — who is also a member of UGA Police’s Crisis Negotiation Team and Special Response Team — said the training “shows just how dedicated our community is to creating a culture that destigmatizes mental health care and actively seeks to empower a person facing a mental health challenge.”
“It reminds us of why we’re doing this,” he said.