Mental health initiative attracts national attention

Jeanette Knight is a slight woman. She stands no taller than 5’2”. She is friendly, gentle, and very personable. Physically she’s not imposing but don’t let her size fool you. In seven years as Police Consultant/Nurse Liaison based at Rotorua Police Station, Jeanette Knight has developed a deserved reputation as a woman who can handle tough situations, even tougher people, and has earned the respect of people on both sides of the law.

Jeanette Knight at the receiving counter of the new Rotorua Police Custodial Facility. Photo credit - The Rotorua Daily Post

Jeanette and her role were groundbreakers in an initiative now attracting national attention. In a position fully funded by the Lakes District Health Board, Jeanette, a mental health nurse, has been co-located at Rotorua Police Station since 2001 – a shining example of a strategic partnership in action.

The Mental Health Initiative was developed by the Rotorua Police and Lakeland Health in 2000 in response to an identified need “for a close working relationship to ensure timely and adequate mental health services intervention for people in the community who in the course of their contact with police staff cause sufficient concern to prompt a request for assessment.”

Combining her psychiatric training – hospital-based at the former Tokanui Hospital – with a knowledge of the legal system “and really good gut instincts,” Jeanette is responsible for conducting mental health assessments and facilitating the treatment of mentally ill detainees, arrestees and remandees to Rotorua.

Rotorua Police Area Commander Inspector Bruce Horne says Jeanette’s contribution is significant, both to police and to the people she works with and speaks for.

“Jeanette provides close professional support for our staff and that’s a huge benefit to police. She is also able to provide an immediate and accurate assessment of people in police custody with mental health issues. If additional care is required, her knowledge of mental health systems enables her to facilitate that assistance in a timely manner. All these factors result in better outcomes for all parties,” says Bruce.

Over the years Jeanette has encountered hundreds of people whom society regards as violent, unpredictable, unbalanced, or emotionally fragile.

Not once has she felt afraid. She recalls a time when she was asked to try and calm down a “rather paranoid and aggressive woman” who had been picked up by the police. Jeanette worked her magic and pacified the woman. Later, when a nursing student asked the woman why she had responded to Jeanette and no-one else the woman told her: “Jeanette’s the only person who looked me in the eye”.

“You have to go with your instincts; you have to go with the patient. Are they dangerous or bad – or are they just unwell?” says Jeanette. “That woman was really unwell but luckily I was able to build a relationship with her and everything turned out fine.”

“I was trained to always put the patient first. What I get out of my job is being able to provide better care for our people. We offer an early intervention for someone who might not already be in the service – they get the care they need a whole lot quicker.”

With the public release this month of a report entitled “Evaluation of the Mental Health Initiative at the Rotorua Police Station” Jeanette is happy to have been a part of the Rotorua Model.

“My grandmother had dementia so I was never afraid of people with mental illness. And my husband and son are both police officers, so I also had a familiarity with their world. I’ve always wanted to make a difference – and in this role I think I am.”

Following on from the success of the role, Christchurch Central and Manukau Police Stations are just two of the stations in the country that have either established, or are in the process of establishing a similar position of mental health nurse but with additional specialist expertise around alcohol and drug issues.