Rhode Island General Laws Title 42. State Affairs and Government § 42-28.2-8.3. Educational requirements--National certified mental health first aid training

(a) The commission on standards and training shall prepare and publish mandatory training standards to provide instructions for police officers in identifying and handling of complaints involving mental health/substance abuse emergencies, and victims, witnesses, or suspects with mental illness or substance use disorders and shall develop guidelines for law enforcement responses to incidents involving such persons. The course of instruction shall comply with the certified National Council of Behavioral Health Mental Health First Aid Program (MHFA) for law enforcement. Instruction and the guidelines shall include:

(b) The commission shall include training in all curricula for recruits and in-service trainees, in all police academies operating or certified by the commission. All law enforcement trainees shall be certified by the National Council of Behavioral Health in Mental Health First Aid.

(c) All law enforcement trainees shall participate in the course of basic training for law enforcement officers, established in this section, as part of their required certification process.

(d) Training presenters shall include behavioral health practitioners with expertise in the delivery of direct services to individuals experiencing mental health or substance abuse emergencies and victims, witnesses, and suspects with mental illness and consumer-survivors i.e. individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders. Training presentations may utilize the staff of community-based mental health treatment facilities.

(e) The course of instruction, the learning and performance objectives, the standards for training, and the guidelines shall be developed by the municipal police training committee in consultation with groups and individuals having an interest and expertise in the field of mental health and community-based treatment.

(f) The municipal police training committee periodically shall include within its in-service training curriculum a course of instruction on handling complaints from or against persons with mental illness or substance use disorders, consistent with the provisions of subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2).

(g) As used in this section, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings: