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Voluntary Registries: Filling the Critical Information Gap in First Response to Mental Health Crises

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2022

Brandon del Pozo  and
Michael T. Compton
Brandon del Pozo
Affiliation:
RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL AND BROWN UNIVERSITY, PROVIDENCE, RI, USA
Michael T. Compton
Affiliation:
NEW YORK STATE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE AND COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK, NY, USA
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Abstract

We argue that voluntary mental health registries integrated into the 9-1-1 system, where patients and caregivers can establish a repository of this information, will help fill this information gap by enabling first responders to quickly understand the context of a call for service with a mental health component, and to make better informed decisions. Despite valid concerns about privacy, stigma, and the potential misuse of protected health information, such registries, if carefully designed and administered, can improve the health outcomes of 9-1-1 calls for service involving mental health-related crises.

Keywords

PoliceFirst RespondersLaw EnforcementMental IllnessCrisis Response
Type
Independent Articles: Commentary
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 50 , Issue 2: Commercial Speech and Commercial Determinants of Health , Summer 2022 , pp. 364 - 367
Copyright
© 2022 The Author(s)

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