An Innovative First-responder Model of Police-based Crisis Intervention Training
The Calhoun County Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) was implemented in 2017. CIT is a National model that provides a foundation for Police Officers, Deputies, Dispatchers, and Correction Officers to respond to an individual experiencing a behavioral health crisis. A CIT interaction with a community member can reduce use of force by police, injuries (to both the officers and community members), and stigma of those with a mental health issue. The ultimate goal of CIT is to divert people away from the Criminal Justice System, either by not introducing them to the system and providing the appropriate community mental health resources.
Since our implementation in Calhoun County, 105 Officers from 7 local Departments have completed a 40-hour CIT training. In addition, 26 Dispatchers have completed an 8-hour training. It is our mission to train at least 25% of each department in CIT and provide additional behavioral health training to Officers who do not complete CIT training.
If you are interested in starting a CIT Program or want to learn more about our program, please contact CIT Coordinators, Jeannie M Goodrich (JGoodrich@summitpointe.org) or Aaron E Smith (ASmith3@summitpointe.org).