Crisis Intervention Team training begins in October

Staff report

WARREN

Trumbull County’s 13th Crisis Intervention Team training for law-enforcement officers is Oct. 7-9 and 15-16.

Sponsors are the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board, Ohio Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3332 in Newton Falls.

CIT programs are local initiatives designed to improve the way law enforcement and the community respond to people experiencing mental health crises, according to a news release.

They are built on strong partnerships between law enforcement, mental health and addiction treatment agencies and individuals and families affected by mental illness and addiction.

The training is free for county law enforcement agencies and focuses on providing basic information on mental illness and addiction and practical techniques to de-escalate crises.

The Supreme Court of Ohio Advisory Committee on Mental Illness and the courts have worked to encourage CIT training statewide, and Ohio is among the nation’s CIT leaders. More than 160 police and corrections officers from 24 jurisdictions have completed CIT training in Trumbull County since 2006.

During the five-day training, officers learn about treatment and support services that are available locally for people in crisis.

Research has established CIT’s effectiveness in developing better understanding of mental illness, improved crisis response, increased jail diversion, increased continuity of treatment and improved safety for officers.

The first four days of training take place in the Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority’s ground floor conference rooms, 4076 Youngstown Road. The final day of training and commencement exercises will take place at W.D. Packard Music Hall, 1703 Mahoning Ave. NW.

For information, contact John Myers, CIT program coordinator, at 330-675-2765, ext. 110 or jmyers@trumbullmhrb.org.