On Youth Psychiatric Emergencies: Police Involvement and Pathways to Better Care

In this episode of On the Mind, host Dr. Daniel Knoepflmacher speaks with Dr. Wilfred Farquharson about police involvement during youth mental health crises. Dr. Farquharson describes his research on the factors associated with police bringing children into psychiatry emergency rooms. Their discussion covers the social, psychological, and clinical implications of law enforcement intervention and shares solution-oriented recommendations for helping the families, schools, providers, and children involved in these challenging emergencies. Dr. Farquharson also speaks about his role leading the NewYork-Presbyterian Center for Childhood and Adolescent Behavioral Health, which is meeting the challenge of escalating youth mental health needs in the community.