Abstract
Introduction
Response to student mental health crises involves interdisciplinary school‐community teams, which can include police officers. This article presents the first systematic review of literature on how police address mental health in school settings. Results have implications for school nurses interacting with responding police.
Question/Aim
How are police involved in responding to student mental health needs in elementary and secondary schools?
Method
Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) framework, six articles met criteria for inclusion in this review.
Results
Two themes were identified: (1) descriptions of roles of police in schools and (2) studies presenting programs or models of police engagement. The most common use of police in schools is through the School Resource Officer model.
Discussion
There are very few studies examining police involvement in mental health response in schools and little data available on whether prevailing models are effective. We are therefore unable to ascertain what impact school police have in responding to mental health crises, or the extent to which they interact with school nurses.
Implications for Practice
Understanding mental health crisis responses in schools can inform policy, practice, research, and education for police and school providers, including nurses.