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Police response to individuals with mental illness, an issue that has taken center stage in Justice Department investigations in recent years, is again in the spotlight given a lengthy new report showing how often Baltimore officers forcibly detain people in crisis. Justice Department investigators found that over a six-year period, mental illness played a role in at least 1 of every 5 cases in which a Baltimore officer used force — through handcuffs, stun guns and guns, for example — even if the person presented no immediate threat. At least one encounter ended in death. (Kelly, 8/12)

One in five Americans is estimated to have a mental health condition at any given time. But getting treatment remains difficult — and it’s worse for children, especially those who identify as black or Hispanic. That’s the major finding in research published Friday in the International Journal of Health Services. The study examines how often young adults and children were able to get needed mental health services, based on whether they were black, Hispanic or white. Using a nationally representative sample of federally collected survey data compiled between 2006 and 2012, researchers sought to determine how often people reported poor mental health and either saw a specialist or had a general practitioner bill for mental health services. (Luthra, 8/12)