UPDATE: Mental health advocates say while they’re encouraged by the mayor’s mental health initiative action plan released yesterday, the group has done nothing to address James Chasse’s death.

“I appreciate the Mayor, and the new County Chair, and all the other participants’ interest in fixing our mental health system,” says Jason Renaud, of the Mental Health Association of Portland. “It’s long overdue. But James Chasse’s death was a result of an attack by three police officers and a thoughtless delay in providing medical treatment. The persons who attacked James are still employed by the city as police officers. The persons who ignored his injuries are still working for the ambulance service, the Fire Department and the County Jail.”

Renaud, who is listed as a participant in the mayor’s initiative meetings, has not attended any. “I’ll start going when they start doing something about what happened to James Chasse,” he says.

ORIGINAL POST, Friday Feb 2, 18:17pm: New recruits to Oregon’s police forces could soon be undergoing lie detector tests to determine their suitability as part of the mayor’s mental health/public safety initiative, which today published $6m of recommendations to improve statewide mental health and public safety systems’ response to those with mental illness.QUESTION: ARE YOU A LIABILITY?

The initiative’s action plan includes recommendations to improve the treatment and housing of those with mental illness, as well as the “cultural competence” of Oregon’s mental health and criminal justice systems, particularly to address the over-representation of African Americans with mental illness in the criminal justice system.

A key proposal in the action plan is the establishment of a $2.9m sub-acute facility, using state dollars to provide brief-period, 24-hour residential treatment for those in mental health crisis, rather than having to un-necessarily hospitalize them.The plan also endorses Senator Avel Gordly’s proposed Use of Deadly Force legislation, which includes mandatory counselling for cops involved in deadly force incidents, as well as a reform of the controversial grand jury process which acquitted those involved in the death of James Chasse of criminal liability, late last year. There are also recommendations for reforming the booking and justice system, and for better educating the community about mental illness to reduce stigma.

The question is, now what? While the plan may appear comprehensive, and sound marvellous, etcetera, it now needs to be put into action, which is a whole different deal involving a huge co-operative effort, and could take years. Action plans are great, but the mental health community will be watching for action, now.

In the mean time, there’ll be no lie-detector tests for you, Mr.wannabe cop-ernator. So, tell me all about yourself…and remember: BE HONEST.