Building Partnerships for Epilepsy Education and Awareness for Law Enforcement Personnel
Epilepsy News From: Thursday, January 04, 2018
As first responders, law enforcement must assess a situation in a matter of seconds to determine if a person is in danger, breaking the law, under the influence of substances, or needing medical attention. This includes successfully identifying when someone is having a seizure and understanding how to best help them.
Growing Understanding, Increasing Safety
In response to that need, the Epilepsy Foundation has developed education that will help law enforcement respond to people living with seizures. This training reinforces that behaviors caused by epilepsy or seizures should not be criminalized. By receiving this information, officers learn that an individual having a seizure is unaware of his actions and may (or may not) need help. Most importantly, it instructs that they are not a threat to the health and safety of others. In addition, the training helps law enforcement personnel understand the importance of maintaining consistent access to seizure medications to help people with epilepsy.
Over 2,000 Law Enforcement Personnel Trained
In the last 2 years, over 2,500 law enforcement personnel were trained. Most recently in December 2017, the Epilepsy Foundation national office and Epilepsy Foundation Florida, in partnership with Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) International and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., trained law enforcement officers. This training provided them with a better understanding of epilepsy which will further help them promote and ensure the safety of an individual in crisis. CIT is an organization that focuses on community partnership of law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals, and individuals who live with mental illness and their families.
If you would like to receive training for law enforcement personnel in your area, email ContactUs@efa.org.
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Authored by
Aldith V. Steer MPH
Reviewed Date
Thursday, January 04, 2018