full

full
Published on:

18th Aug 2022

Ep. 32 Officer Stacy Roark with Spokane PD’s Behavioral Health Unit’s co-deployed model

Ep. 32 Joining me is Officer Stacy Roark who has been in law enforcement for 30 years. He is currently with the Spokane Police Dept. in the Behavioral Health Unit which uses a co-deployed model for responding to persons in mental crisis. Officer Roark rides with a mental health professional (MHP), Jenny Mandin from Frontier Behavioral Health. We talk about the calls they respond to and how they get people the help they need with the goal of keeping them out of jail or the hospital. 

I’ve previously discussed the co-responder model on the podcast in which officers call for a clinician to come to the scene, but this is the first time I’ve discussed the co-deployed approach in which the officer and clinician ride together. I have made it a point to cover these response models to show the lengths to which law enforcement goes to help persons in mental crisis.

We also discuss Officer Roark’s work as a negotiator for the department dealing with barricaded individuals, hostage situations, suicidal subjects and more. Officer Roark shares what it’s like to witness persons who complete suicide as well as the importance of remembering the “wins” when he and his fellow negotiators are able to succeed in keeping people from harming themselves or others. We discuss the current environment for LE and his work supporting officer wellness. And we take a look back at why he became a police officer, the rewards of the job, and how it was not at all what he thought it was going to be. 

In my next episode, mental health professional Jenny Mandin will join us to talk more about their work together in the Spokane PD's Behavioral Health Unit.

Thanks for listening.

Facebook: On Being a Police Officer

Twitter: @AbbyEllsworth13

Instagram: on_being_a_police_officer

Abby@Ellsworthproductions.com

©Abby Ellsworth. All interviews, editing, production done by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org

Show artwork for On Being a Police Officer

About the Podcast

On Being a Police Officer
An inside look at law enforcement through a civilian’s interviews.
An inside look at law enforcement through a civilian’s interviews. These are stories of police told by officers themselves. They talk frankly about what it’s like to be a cop in these tough times, what drew them to the job, and what the people they serve don’t know about the challenges of their work. It’s a view from the front lines and some very personal and emotional stories, especially about why each of these officers chose to serve. I draw on my 14 years of interviewing, filming and photographing police officers – and many ride-alongs!

About your host

Profile picture for Abby Ellsworth

Abby Ellsworth

I am a civilian interviewing law enforcement from around the country. My goal is to tell the real stories of LE, the ones that don't make the news.