MANSFIELD — The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Richland County and the
Richland County Mental Health & Recovery Services Board will graduate the 34th
class of law enforcement and first responders on May 16.
CIT stands for “Crisis Intervention Team” and refers to a collaborative effort
between law enforcement and the mental health community to help law
enforcement officers handle incidents involving persons suffering with mental
illness.
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 consumer safety; and referral for those in crisis to
ensure proper mental health treatment, instead of incarceration.
Developed in the late 1980’s, 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.
Richland County has trained more than 668 law enforcement officers and first
responders since 2004.
Members of the 34th class will have a graduation ceremony on May 16 at noon at the Mansfield Playhouse, 95 E. Third St.