The Georgia Bureau of Investigations wants every officer in Georgia trained to respond to calls involving the mentally ill.
It's a push nationwide so officers can de-escalate a potentially violent situation. The goal is to avoid the use of force by simply talking calmly to an agitated person who may be threatening to harm themselves or others.
The GBI is holding classes to educate every officer on how to deal with people in mental distress.
Channel 2's Justin Farmer attended one session where Roswell Police Lt. Bill Anastasio taught GBI and Georgia State Patrol officers how to deal with people who may be hallucinating or hearing voices.
"If they think they are hearing voices they are OK. You may not believe it," said Anastasio.
The Roswell Police Department has trained 98 percent of their officers in Crisis Intervention Training techniques. Part of the training involves role playing to portray real-life calls, like a family member off his or her medication.
Officers are taught how to effectively communicate with people in distress.
In one particular scenario, the GBI's Debbie Shaw, who is role-playing as a mentally ill person, told the officer she liked to paint and couldn't do that while taking her medication. The officer tried to keep her calm by asking her what she liked to paint.
GBI trainer Debbie Shaw said it is all about treating people with dignity and respect.
"If you use softer tones, listening skills and empathy, you can be more effective in communicating with the individual," Shaw said.
Jamie Griffin sat in the class and watched the role play. She has dealt with mental illness for 33 years and critiques each officer's performance.
"You were keeping your distance and kind of keeping your calm," Griffin told the officer. "Asking what she liked to paint and connecting with her was excellent."
Griffin lives with bi-polar disorder. She teaches officers how to approach someone experiencing a psychotic episode.
"I let them know how it feels and what I don't like. If they are coming up on me I let them know I don't want to be touched. Or when I'm pacing back and forth, let me do that. Don't pace with me," Griffin said.
CIT training won't prevent use of force in every situation. Officers who fear for their safety still will have to use force to respond.
One such incident could be a case in March in DeKalb County. An officer shot a naked man when the officer said the man charged him. The man's family said he suffered from mental illness.
After the incident, DeKalb police increased its CIT training from four hours to 40 hours for all officers.
Griffin hopes training all 56,000 Georgia police officers will help reduce the stigma of mental illness.
"Treat us like everybody else," he said.
