Considerations for the Writing of Certification Letters Endorsing Use of Emotional Support Animals.

Emotional support animals (ESAs) are different from service animals, therapy animals, and other disability-related assistance animals. Although pet ownership may confer psychological benefits, limited research has supported the use of ESAs to realize such benefits. If clinicians are asked to write a letter of support for use of an ESA, they need to be familiar with relevant federal, state, and local laws that regulate ESAs and with the essential components of an ESA evaluation.

Spotlight on Juvenile Justice: How Did We Get Here?

Structural racism and inequity permeate the juvenile justice system. The earliest delinquency programs were developed at a time when slavery was still legal in the United States and Indigenous Americans were considered "savages," representing dehumanizing systems and beliefs that left lasting structural racism. Nearly 200 years later, racism continues to shape and structure our juvenile justice system both directly and indirectly.

Competencies for Global Mental Health: Developing Training Objectives for a Post-Graduate Fellowship for Psychiatrists.

Despite an increase in psychiatry trainees' interest in global mental health (GMH), there is a lack of relevant training competencies developed using educational frameworks that incorporate viewpoints from high- and low-income countries. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine competencies for a two-year post-graduate GMH fellowship for psychiatrists utilizing Kern's six-step process as a theoretical framework for curriculum development. Methods: We conducted a targeted needs assessment via key informant interviews with a purposive sample of stakeholders (n = 19), including psychiatry trainees, generalist clinicians, medical directors, psychiatrists, researchers, and GMH educators from high- and low-resource settings in the United States and abroad.

Building on mental health training for law enforcement: strengthening community partnerships.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the current state of law enforcement training related to the high number of interactions with persons with mental illness, and to recommend next steps in preparing law enforcement to effectively meet this challenge. Design/methodology/approach The authors reviewed the current literature on relevant law enforcement training programs, focusing primarily on crisis intervention team (CIT) training, and used the case example of California to identify opportunities to improve and enhance law enforcement preparedness for the challenge of responding to persons with mental illness. Findings Broad-based community partnerships working together to develop programs that meet the local needs of both those with mental illness and law enforcement, the availability of mental health treatment centers with no-refusal policies, and a coordinating person or agency to effectively liaise among stakeholders are critical enhancements to CIT training.