Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is a collaboration that seeks to bridge the gaps between law enforcement and mental health care professionals, with several key components, only one of which is training. CIT’s goal is to provide immediate response to and management of situations where mentally ill people are in a state of crisis, often utilizing pre-booking jail diversion.

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training is an expert level training designed to educate the officer in dealing with people suffering from a mental illness.  By having CIT officers, agencies are likely prevent, reduce, and eliminate injury to the responding officer and the consumer.  This training will assist the CIT trained officer in finding the appropriate care and resources for the consumer, thus reducing recidivism.

The 40 hour CIT training course covers the following topics, taught by subject matter experts:

• Mental Illness
  •  Schizophrenia 
  •  Bi-Polar Disorder 
  •  Alzheimer's and Delirium (Age Related Disorders) 
  •  Personality Disorders 
  •  Developmental Disorders Group 
  •  Adolescent Disorders 
• Medication and Side Effects
• Depression
• Suicide
• Protective Custody
• Recipient Rights
• PTSD/TBI and Military Veterans
• Suicide by Cop
• Substance Use & Co-Occurring
• Trauma Informed Care 
• Autism
• Family Perspective
• Individual Consumer Testimonies
• Excited Delirium & Psychotic Episodes
• De-Escalation Techniques
• Youths in Crisis
• Legal Issues
• Connecting to Community Resources
• Officer Report Writing
• Officer Wellness

De-escalation skills and techniques will be taught and practiced in the classroom and small group role playing, then tested in two seperate four hour blocks of scenaros, totalling 16 different scenario stations.  Officers will be equipped with integrated force options to ensure they recieve the most realistic training possible.  Scenarios also include the use of force on force and simulator equipment. 

This training has been registered with MCOLES for the use of PA 302 Law Enforcement Distribution funds.