MILO
Crisis Intervention Training

Community policing in the modern era demands emotionally intelligent police officers. Law enforcement officers are often first on the scene for mental health crises and other situations that might traditionally call for a trained social worker or mental health professional. That’s one of many reasons crisis intervention training such as Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs can be helpful: CIT anticipates the ways a scene can escalate—and prepares your team to manage those triggers for better interactions, even in moments of crisis.

The criminal justice system is one of the most expensive (and ineffective) ways to address many problems a community member’s mental health crisis can create. In Detroit, for instance, jailing someone costs more than three times more than providing them with resources for coping with mental illness. CIT training can help divert a significant number of individuals with substance and mental health disorders into cost-effective community-based treatment instead. CIT programs connect law enforcement, mental health providers, hospital emergency services, individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, their families, and other stakeholders around a shared goal of community and individual safety. Through partnerships among community organizations and intensive training, police officers and other law enforcement can improve communication, identify mental health resources for those in crisis, and ensure officer and community safety.

Communication is the key. But communication is often complicated—even more so when mental health and other factors come into play. As much as 70 percent of all communication is non-verbal. Non-verbal communication is especially critical when interacting with cognitively impaired individuals or in the grips of a mental health crisis—times when verbal communication is often confused, confusing, or absent altogether. Officers need to learn to quickly and correctly distinguish pre-event indicators from signs of distress or agitation not indicative of impending violence. Developing and practicing a  CIT skillset helps.