The Philippine National Police plans to provide specialized mental health training to selected personnel to help them recognize signs of psychological distress and refer vulnerable individuals to appropriate professionals, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Monday.

Nartatez said the initiative is part of efforts to strengthen violence prevention, particularly among young people.

“We in the PNP fully support initiatives that will strengthen mental health-based crime prevention programs because we are parents who also want to protect our children from all forms of violence,” Nartatez said.

The move follows the launch of Project Gabay-Kaisipan by the Pola Municipal Police Station in Oriental Mindoro. The program seeks to help identify signs of distress among students through a structured approach developed with mental health experts.

Nartatez directed police commanders to identify personnel who could undergo specialized mental health training through the PNP Health Service and other concerned agencies.

The initiative is in line with the Marcos administration’s efforts to prevent violence in schools and strengthen measures promoting student safety and well-being, the PNP said.

“We cannot expect our police officers to respond effectively to people in distress if we do not first equip them with the knowledge to recognize the warning signs. Through proper training, our personnel can intervene early, make the right referrals, and help prevent situations from escalating into violence,” Nartatez said.

The training is intended to give designated police personnel a better understanding of potential warning signs and the appropriate referral process.

Under Project Gabay-Kaisipan, 13 modules reviewed by psychology experts were designed to help personnel identify signs of distress among students.

Students identified as potentially needing assistance would be referred to medical and mental health professionals for further assessment and support.

Nartatez commended the Pola police for developing the initiative, saying programs of this kind could strengthen cooperation among law enforcement, education and health sectors in protecting students.