1.5 Hours / 1.5 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Understanding and Reshaping Law Enforcement Interactions with Persons with a Mental Disability is presented by Michael Perlin, JD and Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD, in partnership with the Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates (MDLPA).

This program introduces the fundamental case law on the Fourth Amendment’s application to the use of excessive force by law enforcement against persons with a mental disability. Through this law, participants learn how the Supreme Court has narrowed Fourth Amendment protections and expanded the right of officers to use excessive force without legal consequence. 

Additionally, the presentation introduces participants to the American with Disabilities Act and focus on the required steps law enforcement personnel must take to ensure that they are not discriminating against individuals with mental disabilities. Presenters will provide an overview of the ADA legal principles applicable to state and local criminal justice programs. 

Throughout the presentation, real-life examples are used to demonstrate how suggested best practices by law enforcement would effectuate better outcomes for both police and citizens.  

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe current statistics and real-life scenarios that exemplify the problems in policing persons with a mental illness or mental disability
  • 2 Describe the prevailing caselaw that considers excessive force and Fourth Amendment protections for persons with a mental illness or mental disability
  • 3 Describe how the Americans with Disabilities Act intersects with Fourth Amendment jurisprudence for persons with a mental disability
  • 4 Describe best practices in law and policing that would benefit persons with a mental disability during interactions with law enforcement

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for professionals who work with or advocate for individuals with mental disabilities, particularly within the legal, criminal justice, and social service systems. It is especially relevant for those involved in disability rights law, criminal justice and law enforcement oversight, forensic social work, clinical practice with justice-involved individuals, and policy or advocacy roles related to mental health or criminal justice.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Lawyers and legal professionals
    • Disability rights advocates
    • Police officers and law enforcement administrators
    • Social workers (including forensic and clinical social workers)
    • Emergency response technicians
    • Clinicians and forensic practitioners
    • Policy makers and advocates in mental health or criminal justice
    • Mental health professionals

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for a range of experience levels among licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to the intersection of mental health, law enforcement, and legal standards, and seek foundational knowledge of Fourth Amendment case law, ADA requirements, and best practices for supporting clients with mental disabilities in police interactions.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some familiarity with legal and ethical issues in policing and mental health, and are looking to deepen their understanding of current case law, ADA legal principles, and practical strategies for advocacy and collaboration with law enforcement.

  • Practice Setting

    Practice occurs at the intersection of mental health, policing, and law, where constitutional standards and ADA obligations shape both policy and frontline responses. Professionals work in fast-paced, high-stakes, interdisciplinary environments focused on crisis assessment, legal analysis, oversight, and advocacy to prevent discrimination and improve outcomes.


    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Public defender offices, legal aid clinics, and civil rights litigation teams
    • Police departments, crisis intervention teams, and training/oversight units
    • Jails, prisons, and reentry programs
    • Hospital emergency departments, psychiatric units, and mobile crisis services
    • Community mental health centers and forensic clinics
    • Mental health courts and other problem-solving court programs
    • Civilian oversight agencies, inspector general offices, and internal affairs
    • State/local justice agencies, disability rights organizations, and policy institutes

Presented By

Michael L. Perlin, JD Professor of Law Emeritus at New York Law School (NYLS)

Michael L. Perlin is Professor of Law Emeritus at New York Law School (NYLS), founding director of NYLS’s Online Mental Disability Law Program, and founding director of NYLS’s International Mental Disability Law Reform Project in its Justice Action Center. He is also the co-founder of Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates. He has written 31 books and nearly 300 articles on all aspects of mental disability law, many of which deal with the overlap between mental disability law and criminal law and procedure.

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Michael L. Perlin, JD

Presented By

Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD Owner, MDLPA

Heather Ellis Cucolo is Distinguished Adjunct professor of law and the facilitator of the joint JD/MA program with John Jay College of Criminal Justice, at New York Law School (NYLS). She is also an adjunct professor in the JM Program at Emory University School of Law, and a Fellowship faculty member at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. In addition to those roles, Professor Cucolo is co-owner of Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates, a legal education and professional training company, and was elected to the board of trustees for the International Society of Therapeutic Jurisprudence, a non-profit organization. Formerly, in her full-time legal practice, Professor Cucolo dedicated her career to representing individuals at trial facing civil commitment under both the New Jersey Mental Hygiene Law and New Jersey’s Sexually Violent Predators Act. She authored and argued appeals before the New Jersey Appellate Division with over 27 reported decisions. She has published four textbooks and over 21 law review articles with mentions in an Eastern District of New York court decision and an Iowa appellate decision. She was honored to receive the Otto L. Walter Distinguished Writing Award for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019. Professor Cucolo’s international work has included: expert testimony on extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States for persons convicted of a sex offense; pro bono advocacy for LawAid International; speaking at the United Nations on the rights of persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region; and the creation of an instructional course on disability legislation for attorneys in Japan.

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Heather Ellis Cucolo, JD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Statistics on use of excessive force

  • Fourth amendment case law on excessive force

  • Factual examples demonstrating the failure of statutes and prevailing case law to effectively serve persons with a mental disability

  • Title II of the ADA as it relates to excessive force claims

  • Detail jurisdictional police protocols that have the potential to better guide law enforcement in their interactions with persons with a mental disability

We are proud to partner with

Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates (MDLPA)

Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates (MDLPA)

We are proud to partner with Mental Disability Law and Policy Associates, LLC for this training. MDLPA is a boutique educational training company that offers specialized mental disability law consulting, the creation or enhancement of distance learning programs, in-house or online courses, and day or weekend training seminars to reputable organizations, educational institutions, professional groups, and advocacy groups focused on providing advanced knowledge and skills to persons working with marginalized populations.

Learn More About Our Partner

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.