Calling police to help keep a loved one safe can be a very difficult situation. You worry about what will the police do and how will they treat you both. You ask if your family member will be put in jail.  How safe will you all be during the crisis? Most importantly, will the police understand enough about mental illness to react positively in a psychiatric emergency?

In 1988, looking to these concerns of families, the Memphis Police department and the National Alliance on Mental Illness joined the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee to design a program for police officers that were first responders in a psychiatric crisis. The program that resulted has helped police realize how they can have a positive impact on how the intervention is handled and how their responses make a difference in the outcome. (Compton) The goals of this Crisis Intervention Team program (CIT) include:

• To increase safety of officers and civilians.
• To increase officers understanding of mental illness.
• To reduce the number of people with mental illness going to jail.
• To improve relationships with the community, particularly with mental health professionals, people with mental illness, and family members. (Rowland & Cheney)

The CIT program today consists of a forty-hour class that police officers participate in on a voluntary basis. The trainers include mental health professionals, family advocates, and consumer groups. The training involves education, support, and role-playing.  Officers learn de-escalation techniques to enhance their effectiveness with people in psychiatric crisis, which reduces the need for additional measures to be taken. Program participation has resulted in decreasing arrests, less frequent use of force during incidents and more appropriate referrals for psychiatric treatment. The officers’ exposure to people with mental illness during training has also been found to reduce stigma. (Compton)

Following the training these officers are certified CIT responders. A CIT-trained officer will be sent to a scene when there is a psychiatric crisis occurring. Statistics show that the outcomes of these interventions are more positive than those involving officers without CIT training. The police also have more opportunities to interact directly with hospital staff, which develops a more collaborative team working for the person in crisis.

The Chicago Police Department has done an excellent job of training officers. The Chicago Police Department has done an excellent job of training officers. They have worked closely with the NAMI organizations to provide training with the mixture of professionals, families, and consumers.

Recently, I was asked to be part of a CIT training for the Arlington Heights Police Department. I was also asked to extend an invitation to family members and consumers to meet and mingle with the officers during their training. This is a great opportunity to talk with officers during a calm time and not in crisis. The training will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 33. S. Arlington Heights Rd. You can drop in any time during the day.   Registration is not required. For more information, phone 847-368-5000.

I hope some of you take the time to go and congratulate these officers on their efforts to learn more about mental illness and how they can make interventions safer for all those involved.

References:

Compton, Michael T., Esterberg, Michele L., McGee Robin, Kotwicki, Raymond, and Olivia, Janet: Brief Report: Crisis Intervention Team Training: Changes in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Stigma Related to Schizophrenia. American Psychiatric Association.  2006. Obtained online: http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/57/8/1199

Reuland, Melissa and Cheney, Jason. (2005) Enhancing Success of Police-Based Diversion Programs for People with Mental Illness. Delmar, NY: GAINS Technical Assistance and Policy Analysis Center for Jail Diversion.

Carol Ziolo, RN, LCPC