Officers graduate Crisis Intervention Training

For almost 20 years, the Community Alliance of Law Enforcement and Mental Health Services has held Crisis Intervention Training for first responders in Lake County.

Prior to the most recent training session last month, 171 officers who are currently employed in Lake County have graduated from this free training program to date. On a state-wide level, 11,203 officers (45 percent of fulltime police officers) have taken CIT.

CALMHS is a committee of local mental health professionals and law enforcement agencies who meet to coordinate, collaborate, and educate one another on important issues in our community. The Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Deepwood is one of the agencies that helps facilitate the training program.

“We are honored to participate in the CIT program as it helps and protects both first responders and those who have a disability,” said Lynnmarie Landwei-Phillips, director of Public Relations and Professional Services for the Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Deepwood. “Learning effective and proper techniques to address crisis situations makes it safer for all involved.

An estimated 10 percent of calls to police involve individuals with mental illness, according to a report issued by mhaadvocacy.org. In response, CIT programs were developed with the goal to

• Lower the risk of an individual with MI or an officer being injured during an encounter,

• Help first responders identify when it’s more appropriate to refer an individual for mental health treatment instead of incarceration or arrest, and

• Enable first responders to connect people in need with mental health treatment services.

“Crisis intervention refers to the methods used to offer short term, immediate help to individuals who have experienced an event that produces mental, physical, emotional and behavioral distress,” said Sgt. Michelle Prather, shift commander at the Lake County Jail.

CIT Training entails 32 hours of classroom education, field trips and role playing for officers surrounding mental health, community resources, family/consumer perspective, mediations, developmental disabilities (including autism), mental illness, crisis intervention and de-escalation.

Once the training is completed and officers graduate, they are recognized as CIT officers and are able to respond, appropriately equipped, to a mental health crisis. CIT is community collaboration with many individuals, departments, agencies and businesses contributing resources to provide this training free of charge.

In more than 2,700 communities nationwide, CIT programs create connections between law enforcement, mental health providers, hospital emergency services and individuals with mental illness and their families.

Through collaborative community partnerships and intensive training, CIT improves communication, identifies mental health resources for those in crisis and ensures officer and community safety.

SUBMITTED The recent Lake County graduates are shown.