Professor of Social Work Among Those Urging ‘Treatment Not Trauma’ in Crisis Response

Dr. Leticia Villarreal Sosa, professor of social work at Dominican University, was featured in a recent WBEZ Chicago report of mental health professionals urging Mayor Lori Lightfoot to reconsider the use of police officers in a pilot program focused on mental health crisis response.

Villarreal Sosa was among more than 300 psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and social workers who signed a letter addressed to Lightfoot, asking her to support a “Treatment not Trauma” ordinance proposed by Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez. The ordinance calls for a non-police response to mental health crises and additional city funding for mental health centers across the city of Chicago.

“Chicago desperately needs a crisis model that does not include the presence of Chicago Police,” the letter reads.

It notes the 2015 death of 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, who, while experiencing a psychiatric episode at his home, was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer. A bullet also struck LeGrier’s neighbor, killing her.

“If there’s ever a time to really focus on access to mental health services and also non-police responses, [it’s] right now,” Villarreal Sosa was quoted as saying in the report, referring to a rise in mental health issues amid the pandemic.

Villarreal Sosa also cited a study showing that police officers trained in crisis intervention did not use less force than officers who did not undergo this training.

“Even when you train police officers, it still doesn’t necessarily reduce the potential for escalation or a violent response on the part of police officers,” she said.

Read more at WBEZ.