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Law enforcement agents are trained to handle a variety of life-threatening situations, from talking down a suspect wielding a weapon to evacuating large areas following a natural disaster. Even when officers are well prepared, certain situations may require the assistance of other professionals. These professionals become especially important when law enforcement agents engage people with severe mental illness (SMI). In the U.S., one in four adults experiences mental illness. For 9.3 million Americans the problems can be severe enough to impede their ability to act rationally. Most people suffering a mental illness are not violent, criminal or dangerous. Yet, they are ten times more likely to be incarcerated than committed to a state psychiatric hospital. Increasingly, police officers serve as the first line of contact when those living with mental illness are at their most disoriented.

In the year following the Newtown tragedy, police have reassessed the way they'd respond to a similar incident, and a number of departments are learning how to better work with people who have mental health issues or are in crisis.

"This is an example of great restraint and excellent police work in dealing with a mental health issue where the outcome could have been much different," Bob Gualtieri said. Sachse, 54, has been with the sheriff's office since March 17, 2004. He received Crisis Intervention Training the following year. The training is designed to teach deputies how to recognize mental health issues and to deal with them in the most effective manner, according to the sheriff's office.

Mental illness has long been one of the most difficult health problems to diagnose. Because so many of the symptoms are hidden from sight, it is not easy to recognize when people need help. For police officers, this assessment is often made under stressful conditions, when an individual may present a danger to themselves or others. Faced with societal stigmas against mental illness, first responders struggle to marry sensitivity and safety.