Mobilizing mental health resources offers hope in countering violent extremism

Through our work, we will conduct a systematic literature review on mental health, education, and CVE and convene a targeted workshop with CVE, law enforcement, mental health, and education professionals, including representatives from the three CVE “pilot cities” of Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Boston. The team will produce targeted cross-training modules for law enforcement, mental health, and education practitioners. These materials will be designed to be of practical use in the three pilot cities and will address the purpose of collaboration, promising program models, the degree of communication expected/possible, and potential conflicts of interest and associated steps for resolving them.

Vice President Biden was right. Incorporating mental health into CVE holds significant potential in enhancing prevention and intervention capacities. To do so effectively, however, requires a better understanding of how, when, and to what purpose assets and contingencies from mental health can be brought to bear on the challenges of countering violent extremism.

Dr. Weine is professor of psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Ellis is assistant professor of psychology in the department of psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

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