Host a meeting about CIT
When and how to host your first meeting will depend on the size of your community and what is prompting the CIT initiative. For example, community leaders sometimes call for CIT after public outcry over a law enforcement shooting or jail overcrowding. In these cases, it may be necessary to pull together a large group of diverse stakeholders very quickly. In other communities, the impetus for CIT may be a grassroots effort by a few dedicated individuals. In these cases, an initial meeting may be small and informal, and the process can may move more slowly.
Regardless, the goal of the meeting should be to open a dialogue between three key partners--law enforcement, mental health services and advocates—about law enforcement response to mental health crises. The long term objective is to engage partners and encourage them to work together in pursuit of CIT as a community project.