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About CIT |
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"Communities large and small are seeking answers to managing crisis issues and crisis services. When changes are mandated, community collaborations and partnerships are the key. Advocates have long asserted that law enforcement personnel often do not receive adequate mental health training, resulting in ineffective and sometimes fatal encounters or outcomes. In 1988, Memphis introduced the first Crisis Intervention Team as a vital component to the community's demand for safer first responder crisis services. CIT partnerships led to changes in existing systems and stimulated the development of new infrastructures for services/care. Suicide attempts and mental health crisis concerns are recognized as a priority. Crises are about people, about our community, our families, our friends, and our loved ones. CIT is built and founded on principles of dignity, understanding, kindness, hope and dedication. Suicide encounters and those crises relating to mental illnesses are about our community, our friends, loved ones, and us. It is a fundamental requirement that crisis services and care are present."
- Major Sam Cochran |
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Crisis
Intervention Team (CIT)
The magnitude of the problem of untreated
mental illness is revealed not only in the numbers, but also in the
consequences. More than one million people with schizophrenia and
manic-depressive illness are not being treated on any given day. These
individuals are more likely to experience homelessness, suicide,
incarceration, victimization, and violence. For years, the law enforcement
community has borne the brunt of this crisis with its officers responding
to individuals who become psychotic and sometimes dangerous.
The Memphis Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)
is an innovative police based first responder program that has become nationally
known as the “Memphis Model” of pre-arrest jail diversion for
those in a mental illness crisis. This program provides law enforcement
based crisis intervention training for helping those individuals with
mental illness. Involvement in CIT is voluntary and based in the patrol
division of the police department. In addition, CIT works in partnership
with those in mental health care to provide a system of services that is
friendly to the individuals with mental illness, family members, and the
police officers.
Outcome research has shown CIT to be
effective in developing positive perceptions and increased confidence
among police officers; providing very efficient crisis response times;
increasing jail diversion among those with mental illness; improving the
likelihood of treatment continuity with community based providers; and
impacting psychiatric symptomatology for those suffering from a serious
mental illness as well as substance abuse disorders. This was all
accomplished while significantly decreasing police officer injury rates. |
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