MANSFIELD — The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Richland County and the Richland County Mental Health & Recovery Services Board will graduate the 35th CIT
class of law enforcement officers and first responders on Oct. 10.
CIT stands for “Crisis Intervention Team” and refers to a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the mental health community to help officers handle incidents involving people suffering with mental illness.
Richland County has trained more than 722 law enforcement officers and first responders since 2004. Members of the 35th class will have a graduation ceremony on Oct. 10 at noon at the Mansfield Playhouse, 95 E. Third St.
That ceremony will follow a series of role-playing scenarios during which officers will have the opportunity to try new skills with local community theater actors.
The program focuses on the need for advanced training and specialization with first responders; immediacy of the crisis response for those with mental illness; emphasis on officer and public safety; and referral for those in crisis to ensure proper mental health treatment instead of incarceration.
Developed in the late 1980s, CIT was built upon work done by NAMI family advocates and a community task force composed of law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals and consumer advocates.
An intensive 40-hour training curriculum was developed which focuses on scenarios based on actual incidents. Other parts of the training include individual diagnosis, medications, de-escalation, civil legal and court processes and perspectives from consumers with mental illness and their family members.