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Crisis Intervention
Team (CIT)
Officer Selection
| CIT Training | Madison County CIT
CIT Benefits | National Achievements | State CIT Initiative
A Crisis
Intervention Team (CIT) program consists of a team of sworn officers who
receive intensive specialized training on dealing with individuals in the
community who have a mental illness. CIT members provide an immediate response
to calls involving a mental health crisis situation. At least one CIT officer
is available on all shifts, but also perform their regular duty assignment as
patrol officers. Community members can easily identify CIT officers by a "CIT" pin worn on the breast pocket of the officer's uniform. These officers are also
expected to find opportunities to interact with these individuals when they are
not in a crisis situation. For example, CIT officers may attend community
meetings at service agencies or may do "well-being" checks with individuals with
whom they have become familiar. Additionally, the CIT team will build
relationships and cultivate partnerships with area service providers.
Selecting
the appropriate officers for the team is crucial to the effectiveness of the CIT
program. All department officers are given an opportunity to volunteer for the
program. Command staff then selects officers based on an interview process.
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The CIT
training is a one-week/40 hour block of instruction. Topics include mental
illness recognition, substance abuse and dual diagnosis, child and adolescent
disorders, psychotropic medications, developmental disabilities, risk assessment
and crisis intervention skills.
In addition
to training units consisting primarily of lecture, students participate in a
variety of valuable exercises. In one such exercise, each student is provided
with a personal cassette player with headphones. The officers listen to a tape
playing "voices" that simulate the auditory hallucinations that some individuals
with a mental illness may experience. While listening to this tape, students
rotate through a series of workstations where they are required to perform a
cognitive task. This exercise allows students to gain insight into what an
individual who is psychotic might be experiencing.
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Throughout
the week, each student will have a unique opportunity to participate in panel
discussions with individuals who have a mental illness and/or their family
members. Panel members share their personal experiences and are able to explain
to officers what their needs are in a crisis situation. Students are also able
to ask questions of panel members.
An important
part of training is scenario-based skills training. Officers are given factual
scenarios that include suicide interventions, de-escalating a potentially
violent situation, responding to a call involving an individual experiencing
paranoia, and interacting with a female in a manic episode behaving in an
inappropriate manner. All scenarios are facilitated and evaluated by
instructors in the mental health field.
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CIT
