MHDS Holds CIT Training for Local Law Enforcement

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Recently team members from the Mental Health, Drug, and Alcohol Services (MHDAS) of Logan & Champaign Counties hosted a Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for local law enforcement officers and those who may come in contact with people who are in crisis.

Crisis Intervention training equips law enforcement officers with the knowledge and skills to recognize and de-escalate a behavioral health crisis.

The training also educates officers on how to navigate the local behavioral health system and assists them in understanding the benefits of community-based treatment rather than incarceration.

The 40-hour CIT included patrol officers, parole officers, probation officers, and peer supporters from Bellefontaine Municipal Court Probation, ODRC/APA (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Corrections Adult Parole Authority), Bellefontaine Police Department, Mechanicsburg Police Department, New Logan Unit / A1012 Parole, Recovery Zone of Champaign County, Saint Paris Police Department, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Urbana Police Department, & Wings Support and Recovery.

This training is designed to be offered at the start of a law enforcement officer’s career, with most of our local departments electing to send officers to the first available training after their hire date.

It’s encouraged that any officer who would like a refresher attend as often as they would like, especially as local resources change, or new resources become available.

The training is held yearly.

The classroom portion of the training covered Mental Health Disorders, Substance use Disorders, Trauma-Informed Policing, Legal Issues, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Panel/Lived Experiences, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders/Traumatic Brain Injuries, Military and Veteran Cultural Considerations, & ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics™) Critical Decision-Making Model.

The training also included a full day of site visits to local behavioral health resources and concluded with a day of role-playing the ICAT de-escalation tactics, which was completed on the final day of training.

A graduation ceremony took place directly after the role-play exercises.

During the role-play scenarios, the students work in teams of two to de-escalate a mental health crisis, practicing using the knowledge and skills taught during the first four days of class.

This year, the two-person teams were asked to participate in two unique role-play scenarios.