NAMI graduates 33rd class of crisis intervention trained officers

MANSFIELD — David is usually harmless.

Sometimes, he falls into a manic state, sure that he’s on the brink of a creative masterpiece. He hasn’t eaten or taken his medication in a few days and his family hasn’t heard from him.

Police officers respond to a call to David’s home with the radio blaring and him holding a paint scraper and paintbrush in the midst of a creative frenzy.

Scott Stoops, a Mansfield Playhouse actor, has played the character of David for about six years for crisis intervention team (CIT) training. The Playhouse scenarios are designed to prepare officers for real-life encounters with individuals in mental health crises.

On Friday, officers in the scenario pinned Stoops to the floor because his character was holding the paint scraper.

Scott Stoops falls to the floor during his CIT scenario playing David Oct. 11 at the Mansfield Playhouse.

“Normally, an officer sees that and asks me to put it down,” Stoops said. “Today, one of them moved my brushes before asking me to do that.

“They took my paint supplies away from me, and I went ballistic because my character would go ballistic — that’s the most important thing in the world to him right now. I’m in a manic phase, and you’re taking away from me the thing I needed most.”

It was the first time Stoops had ever been physically taken down by an officer in this scenario.

“I wouldn’t have taken me down, but I know me, and I know the character,” he said.

“I know that my job is to respond like a person in a manic phase would, and their job is to respond as if it is real life. Everyone’s doing this to keep people in real crisis calls from getting hurt if at all possible.”

Stoops sustained a small cut near his right eye when being pinned to the floor broke his reading glasses.

Everyone’s doing this to keep people in real crisis calls from getting hurt if at all possible.
Scott stoops, mansfield playhouse actor

“I’ve got a bit of a headache, but it’s OK — no serious problems and they’ll buy me new glasses,” he said. “We had one bad scenario, but the whole day wasn’t ruined.

“This class overwhelmingly did what they were trained to do. It’s a learning process for all of us.”

The 33rd local class of crisis intervention team officers. Credit: Submitted Credit: Submitted

CIT implements hands-off response for future trainings

The National Alliance on Mental Illness — Richland County, Richland County Mental Health & Recovery Services Board and local law enforcement officers collaborate twice a year for CIT training.

Aubrie Hall, NAMI executive director, said future CIT training will continue with hands-off responses.

“If the scenario is getting to the point where you think this is probably where I would pin this person to the ground, you can say ‘actor, to the ground’ or ‘actor, handcuffed,’” Hall told trainees.

“That way, we’re still going through the scenario together and you’re calling someone out as an actor to make sure our communication is on track.”

CIT training with the Mansfield Playhouse started in 2004. Officers are trained to use verbal commands before physical force, but have been allowed to use force in previous Playhouse roleplaying.

“I think it’s very appropriate to practice hands-off here while still being as realistic as possible,” Hall said.

“The actors do such a great job portraying real-life situations in real-life scenarios and officers are trained to make sure that they’re prioritizing safety for themselves and the citizens.”

The various scenarios are written to allow officers to respond to calls involving people with mental illnesses with the goal to transport them to proper mental health treatment instead of incarceration.

Doug Wertz, artistic director for the Mansfield Playhouse, said he doesn’t think the new hands-off rule will change role-playing.

“We’re going to keep it as real as possible and ultimately, we want everyone to be safe,” he said. “The officers don’t know what they’re really getting into in these scenarios, so we all have to be thoughtful.

“We review each of the scenarios after they’re played out so the officers can give each other feedback and discuss what choices were made and why a situation escalated or de-escalated based on that. It’s all action and reaction —how are the officers finding this person and how are we as actors reacting based on their responses.”

Doug Wertz plays a suicidal man at CIT training Oct. 11. Credit: Carl Hunnell Credit: Carl Hunnell

Scenarios practiced Friday included house calls, people with schizophrenia, family members on suicide watch and a man preventing customers from entering a gas station.

Hall said NAMI receives some details about Richland County Sheriff’s Office and Mansfield Police Department’s mental health and suicide attempt calls so they can draw from real-world scenarios to practice with in training.

The local program has helped train more than 650 first responders including police, probation officers, hospital security and correctional staff.

Trainees spend one week learning about mental health diagnoses, treatments and de-escalation methods they can practice with Playhouse actors at the end of the training. The training also emphasizes officer and consumer safety on crisis response calls.

Anyone can ask for CIT-trained officers if they need to call 9-1-1. Officers are also equipped to call social workers, protective services and mental health professionals to respond on-site.

The 17 graduates of the 33rd CIT class are:

Avita Hospital: