When calling the local police in a mental health emergency, please ask for a CIT trained officer.  Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training now exists in many communities across the United States. While this training was originally developed for law enforcement, it has been expanded to include dispatch, EMTs, and other first responders and criminal justice professionals. Over the course of one week, this 40 hour training teaches participants about various types of mental illnesses, as well as active listening and de-escalation of crisis situations, and what mental health resources are available in the community. The goal is to have a safe resolution of crisis situations involving individuals living with mental illness, and to divert these individuals away from the criminal justice system and into treatment where recovery can begin.

We are proud to partner on this project with NAMI Delaware County, IN, the Muncie Police Department, the Ball State Police Department, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department, IUBMH Police Department. Community Corrections, Meridian Health Services, and Ball State’s Criminal Justice and Criminology Department.

Interested persons can explore CIT International’s Guide to Best Practices in Mental Health Crisis Response.