They are doing just that in some areas. I wanna say they call them crisis response teams. A police officer, a mental health worker, and an EMT or paramedic. They're probably rather expensive to implement (but cheaper than a wrongful death lawsuit!), and it would be hard to have enough of them in operation every day in…

They're actually tryin to start teams like that in some areas - a social worker/mental health worker, a police officer, and a paramedic, all responding in one vehicle and working together to find the best way to get someone to safe treatment.

Legally and ethically, I *do* think it’s right for the people who answer the call to be prepared to (or more likely, accompanied by someone equipped and trained to) take physical action, if required. It would be unfair to expect social workers or even doctors to be first responders at actively volatile situations.

I made a similar comment in the greys on Gawker yesterday. Why can families call for an armed police response but not for a social worker or mental health professional? The people I know who work within the foster care system certainly know how to deescalate tense and possibly violent situations without killing anyone.

This is a case where gun control would save these people’s lives.

Is it time to invent some new source of mental health emergency assistance? A specific number you can call for a new hybrid mental health/armed security response unit that has specific training on deescalation and the requisite tools to subdue and detain.

No doubt.

exactly. what happened to “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”? except when it’s a cop, I guess?

“Upon arrival, officers were confronted by a combative subject resulting in the discharging of the officer’s weapon, fatally wounding two individuals.”

Yes I have seen that happen and really hurt people. Someone loses a relative and then another person talks about how their cat also had cancer and died and you are like...

I’ve always had dogs. Loved them and they were “part of the family”, but they were dogs. But two years ago we adopted a goldendoodle and she is the sweetest dog I've ever seen. She definitely climbed some ranks. Got her own stocking, a couple of fancy bones for Christmas and we pay for the expensiveass dog food. She…

I had a student, and therefore not an old, who thought FTW stood for “F the World”.

My daughter had selective mutism and I sort of use my wee doggy as a therapy dog. I wish that anxiety dogs could be certified for service. It would really help her if she could take the dog out everywhere.

Ooo. Going to pass this idea along to my local SPCA. Would be a great way to get my kid reading and speaking in front of people. She will do anything for doggies.

May he.

lol no

Meaning only that it’s the goal of all social movements to ultimately seek their own obsolescence.