Seek funding if needed
Sometimes grants from federal, state, and local governments or private foundations and community groups can help with the genesis of CIT. Funding typically falls into one of two categories: planning and implementation.
It is well worth your time to recruit people who are experienced in writing grant proposals in your CIT effort. Often state and local governments, mental health agencies and law enforcement agencies have designated grant writers who may be able to provide technical assistance or information on local grant funding.
When writing a proposal, it can be helpful to review other successful grant applications. Funders typically are interested in supporting efforts that are built on strong community partnerships and that include a plan for long-term sustainability. Finally, before applying for a grant, make sure that you have a commitment from law enforcement agencies and mental health provider agencies in your community that ensures you'll be able to complete the tasks for which you receive funding.
Funding can help support a formalized Steering Committee, paying for meetings and visits to other CIT programs. Funding can be used to pay the overtime costs for law enforcement agencies to cover the shifts of officers in training or to pay for training materials, such as manuals and pins. In addition, funding may be sought to hire a consultant for a specialized task, such as designing an evaluation. Funding may also be sought to support the CIT coordinator position. However, it is very important that the partner agencies support the program through in-kind services, such as the mental health agency providing trainers and law enforcement agencies providing officers to attend training. By integrating the CIT program into the responsibilities of these agencies, the program is more likely to be sustainable, especially if start-up funding cannot be sustained.
Resources
NAMI Queens Nassua (NY) CIT Program Grant Proposal
Nonprofit Academic Centers Council
U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance, Funding
U.S. Department of Justice, Community-Oriented Policing Services, Grants and Funding