23 complete training on responding to mental health crises
Maui Police Department recruits were among 23 people who completed Crisis Intervention Team training on how to interact with those potentially suffering from a mental illness or experiencing an emotional crisis.
The 40 hours of training, ending Friday, focused on deescalating a situation before it reaches a point of violence or self-harm while ensuring people receive the appropriate response and care they need, according to an MPD news release.
Those who completed the program included MPD officers, state Judiciary employees, security staff from Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and Montage Kapalua Bay, MPD Multi-Cultural Advisory Counsel members and employees of Roberts Hawaii, Project Vision, Family Life Center-Molokai, Ka Hale A Ke Ola and Maui Aloha Foundation.
The class was the 12th since the program was started in 2013, raising the number of people who have completed the training to 188.
Alicia Rodriguez, law enforcement clinical psychologist with Waves of Insight, led the training.
The program is part of the MPD’s Critical Outreach and Response through Education unit that works with community agencies on issues involving homeless people and those suffering from mental illness.
Completing the training were MPD recruits John Asuncion, Michael Asuncion, Luna Guarriello, Austin Hughes, Goro Iijima, Taylor Lee, Michael Means, Nathan Samonte and Micah Takamiya; MPD officers Tyson Baza-Triulzi, Clarence Kenui and Cody Tetzloff; Nico Bonilla of Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Christopher Freitas and Bernard Olsen of Roberts Hawaii, Randy Gallegos of Montage Resorts, Robin Garrison of Project Vision, 2nd Circuit Judge Kirstin Hamman, Keisa Liu of the MPD MultiCultural Advisory Council, Kimo Orlando of Molokai Family Life Center, Dr. Arlene Ricalde-Garcia, Kurt Schmidt of Ka Hale A Ke Ola and Tiare Sua of Maui Aloha Foundation.