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CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAMSAll too often, clashes between the mentally ill and police end in shooting. These situations are mostly the result of the mentally ill going off of medications and becoming violent, and the police overreacting to the situation. This is due to the lack of knowledge in dealing with the mentally ill. More than 10 years ago, the Memphis Police Department developed a highly successful program known as the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). This program is also in effect in Portland, OR, Albuquerque, NM, and more recently in Tampa Bay, FL. The CIT program has proven that tragedies between the mentally ill and police can be prevented. Police are generally the first to come into contact with the mentally ill in a crisis, so it is important to have someone who can contain the situation. CIT training is given only to select volunteers based on performance and discipline, along with an interview and psychological exam. The training is a five day course, consisting of four phases. Phase one is learning the types of mental illness and medications, phase two is interacting with the mentally ill, phase three is role playing and acting out situations, and phase four is the trainers riding with the police so they can understand each other's viewpoint and promote cooperation. CIT is also a partnership between the justice system and the mental health system. For mental health facilities, CIT training involves correcting failures in the system and improving their methods. Most importantly, it is to remove the barriers so that the transition from criminal justice to mental health can be accomplished promptly and professionally.
BY RICHARD SUTPHEN
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 BipolarConnection
2001 - 2008
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