Crisis Intervention Behavioral Health Training

Senate Bill 11
Impact on Law Enforcement

On October 3, 2015, Governor Brown, signed into law Senate Bill 11 (PC 13515.27). The resulting law mandates POST to create, maintain, and make available a mental health course which is at least three consecutive hours long. This information is intended to facilitate an understanding of the new law and how it will be implemented. Please refer to the California Penal Code (PC) for a full description of the law.

The course is not mandatory for law enforcement.

Mental Health Training Resources

The following mental health training resources have been provided for your convenience. The resources are not intended to be comprehensive.

Mental Health Training Courses

Course Catalog

Visit the California POST Course Catalog to locate POST certified mental health training courses and crisis intervention courses.

Crisis Intervention Behavioral Health Training Penal Code Section 13515.27 (a)

The Commission on POST is pleased to present this training curriculum on law enforcement response to people with mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance use disorders. This course was developed pursuant to legislative mandate Senate Bill 11 (Beale) as codified in Penal Code Section 13515.27(a). Law enforcement officers are not mandated to take this course.

Crisis Intervention Behavioral Health Training Penal Code Section 13515.28 (a) (1)

Penal Code Section 13515.28 (a) (1) requires Field Training Officers who are instructors for the field training program to have at least 8 hours of crisis intervention behavioral health training. Agencies may certify this expanded course outline (ECO) (pdf) and hourly distribution (pdf) through their Regional Consultant to present an 8 hour behavioral health course that satisfies the 8 hour training requirement for FTOs.

POST Behavioral Health Guidebook

Mental Health (pdf)