Exclusive: Officers aren’t allowed to call mental health experts for help if someone is armed – but what happens when someone having an episode doesn’t pose a threat?

During the first Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020, Jane* said she had an adverse reaction to a new ADHD medication and “ended up having a manic episode”.

She claims she was experiencing domestic violence at home and ran out on the street in Sydney’s inner west naked to get help. She was “really scared and confused”.