CIT Plus Crisis Intervention Teams The Connecticut Model

CIT “Plus” Crisis Intervention Teams The Connecticut Model 1 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

The Synergy Champion The New London PD Crisis Intervention Team Impetus CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement CABLE 2 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

Coalition Building 3 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

Curriculum • • • • 4 • Introduction to CIT model Mental Illness and Co-occurring Disorders Mental Illness and the Law Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents Effective Police Encounters with Children and Adults on the Autism Spectrum Suicide by Cop: What we know; Personal Perspectives; Postshooting Trauma and Care Suicide Assessment and Intervention In-Custody Death and Excited Delirium Medication: the Double-Edged Sword De-escalation Techniques and Less Lethal Options A Family Perspective on Mental Illness In Our Own Voice – Persons with Mental Illness Share Their Stories Pre and Post Deployment: Veterans & Family Issues Hearing Voices that are Distressing: An Experiential Exercise Completing the Police Emergency Evaluation Review Form CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. Role Plays 2009

More than just training! Memphis Model of CIT 5 • 40 hour curriculum • Led by trained, experienced law enforcement professionals (credibility is key to CIT success) • Co-training with mental health professionals, families and persons living with mental illness • Interdisciplinary training – geared toward police AND their mental health partners • Working partnerships established between police and community based crisis services and supports CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

The Brain Child New London PD CIT + Southeastern CT Mental Health Authority = Dedicated CIT Clinician 6 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

Role of the CIT Clinician • Assist CIT officer on CIT calls • Assist CIT officer in writing Emergency Evaluation Request forms • Stay with consumer in ED to finish intakes and let CIT officer return to road • Follow up on consumers not taken to ED – and those who are… • Cell block assessments • Build solid working relationship with police partners and more…. 7 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

Benefits • A “continuum of care” that goes beyond the initial encounter and disposition • Clinician continues the “follow-up” to ensure that client is linked to services • Facilitates and strengthens consumer connections to community based caregivers • Reduces the number of repeat calls • Saves the officer time off the road 8 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

Funding • Establishing connections with NAMI-CT and others • Presentation to the State of CT’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) • Research for Grant opportunities • DMHAS was awarded a Byrne Grant for a pilot • CABLE chosen to implement both the pilot and the statewide initiative 9 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

The Pilot • To implement CIT in three large urban police departments within the state. • To hire and train CIT clinicians dedicated to working with those police departments. • To hire a University to: Øassess the effectiveness of the model as a pre-arrest, jail diversion tool; Øassess the effectiveness of CIT in linking consumers to community based services 10 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

The Carrot! • Covered all training costs including some overtime expenses • Paid for the CIT Clinician to work with New London/Norwich, West Haven, New Haven, Hartford, Waterbury police departments. • Potential reduction in officer injuries (workers compensation claims) • Potential reduction in injuries to consumers • Potential reduction in liability claims against municipalities 11 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

The work continues… • Expanding the model • Continued advocacy for support from the state legislature and Prison and Jail Overcrowding Commission • Creative uses of statewide and community resources to build what works best for each community and their police department. 12 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

Where we are now • 20 trainings 6 annual refresher conferences • 1000+ officers and mental health clinicians trained • 55 law enforcement agencies (Incl. State police, U. S. Marshalls, U. S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Colleges and Universities MH Probation and MH Parole Officers) 13 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

Statewide insignia • The Pathfinder “Follow me, I know the way…” 14 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009

For more information contact: Inspector Ken Edwards, Jr. President, CABLE, Inc. (860) 258 -5965 ke@cableweb. org Louise Pyers, MS Executive Director, CABLE, Inc. (203) 848 -0320 Lcp@cableweb. org and Criminal Justice Project Director 1 -800 -215 -3021 – NAMI-CT criminaljustice@namict. org www. cableweb. org 15 CT Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement, Inc. 2009