Crisis Intervention TeamsThe Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) model was developed in 1988 in Memphis, Tennessee, as a partnership between the police department, advocacy groups and treatment providers for people with mental illness, and other community stakeholders to manage crisis situations involving mentally ill subjects. Since that time, many law enforcement agencies have adopted the program and have realized significant benefits in their communities through dramatic declines in injury rates among both citizens and police officers, decreased utilization of the SWAT team to resolve crisis situations and the diversion of people with mental illness from incarceration to community-based mental health services. The goals of CIT are to train law enforcement officers in the recognition of mental illness, to enhance their verbal crisis de-escalation skills, and to provide more streamlined access to community-based mental health services. By engaging mental health consumers with appropriate community supports, the well-being of the individual and the safety of the community can both be enhanced. To that end, this class will include presentations by mental health service providers in the local community to help officers and deputies learn what services are available for people they contact who have mental illness, and to provide community re-entry services for people getting ready to leave jail. The class is taught by law enforcement personnel from Colorado agencies with extensive experience in CIT situations and training. The 5-Day course starts at 8:00 am each day. Class is limited to 20 students. POST guidelines on attendance do apply. The class is funded through a grant from Colorado POST. Although it is free to individual students, POST has committed a substantial amount of funds to bring this class to this area. If you cannot attend, please email Karen Pendergraft at [email protected] to withdraw at least 5 business days before the start date of the class to allow others to attend. |