Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training: Selection Effects and Long-Term Changes in Perceptions of Mental Illness and Community Preparedness

As police departments in the United States strive to improve their capacity to effectively engage individuals with mental illness (IMI), Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training has become increasingly common. Limited empirical work has studied the effectiveness of CIT, and available studies demonstrate split evidence on the effectiveness of the approach. Variation in previous findings may indicate that CIT inadequately addresses key factors that create challenges for officers when engaging IMI, such as mental illness stigma. Survey data collected from 185 officers were analyzed to assess whether mental illness stigma affects officers’ perceptions of preparedness for engaging IMI beyond CIT training itself. Findings suggest that although there are few differences in perceptions of preparedness between officers who have completed CIT training and those who have not completed CIT training, variation in levels of mental illness stigma explain differences in officers’ perceptions of preparedness to engage IMI. Policy recommendations are discussed.

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The impact of Crisis Intervention Team Training for police

International Journal of Police Science & Management ◽

10.1177/1461355720909404 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 159-170

Author(s):

Kimberly D Hassell

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Crisis Intervention ◽

Participant Observation ◽

Police Department ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Crisis Intervention Team ◽

Patrol Officers ◽

Behavioral Issues ◽

Municipal Police ◽

Intervention Team

Policing persons with mental illness and/or emotional/behavioral issues is complex and difficult. Police interactions and encounters of this nature are expected to increase due to dwindling budgets and the resulting deficiencies of local mental health systems. Police departments are responding to this growing need by requiring officers to attend Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training. CIT Training is designed to teach officers about mental illness and effective strategies and techniques for engaging and de-escalating potentially volatile interactions and encounters. This study was conducted in a large, Midwestern, municipal police department. The data were triangulated and included: (a) CIT Training pre- and post-tests administered to officers ( N=323) prior to and upon completion of the required 40-hour CIT Training held during the months of October through December 2016 and February through May 2017; (b) participant observation with police patrol officers in three of the seven police districts ( N=127 hours; April 2017 through May 2017); (c) semi-structured interviews with police patrol officers assigned to three of the seven police districts who had completed the CIT Training ( N=32 patrol officers; intensive interviews were conducted during participant observation); (d) in-person semi-structured interviews with service providers/practitioners who interact with officers in the context of their working roles and responsibilities ( N=27; July 2017 through January 2018); and (e) interviews with Urbantown Police Department (UPD) executive command staff, CIT coordinators and UPD telecommunications personnel ( N=10; September 2017 through January 2018). The assessment finds that the CIT Training administered in a large, municipal police department changed officers’ perceptions, as well as their street-level practices with persons with mental illness and/or emotional/behavioral issues. This assessment also finds that police officers are taking fewer persons into custody for involuntary treatment, and are instead transporting more persons for voluntary treatment.

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Crisis intervention team training: when police encounter persons with mental illness

Police Practice and Research ◽

10.1080/15614263.2018.1484290 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 279-296 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Michele P. Bratina ◽

Kelly M. Carrero ◽

Bitna Kim ◽

Alida V. Merlo

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Crisis Intervention ◽

Team Training ◽

Crisis Intervention Team ◽

Intervention Team

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Crisis Intervention Teams and People With Mental Illness

Crime & Delinquency ◽

10.1177/0011128710372456 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 57-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

Melissa S. Morabito ◽

Amy N. Kerr ◽

Amy Watson ◽

Jeffrey Draine ◽

Victor Ottati ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Health Services ◽

Crisis Intervention ◽

Use Of Force ◽

Crisis Intervention Team ◽

Intervention Teams ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Crisis Intervention Teams ◽

Intervention Team

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program was first developed to reduce violence in encounters between the police and people with mental illness as well as provide improved access to mental health services. Although there is overwhelming popular support for this intervention, scant empirical evidence of its effectiveness is available—particularly whether the program can reduce the use of force. This investigation seeks to fill this gap in the literature by exploring the factors that influence use of force in encounters involving people with mental illness and evaluating whether CIT can reduce the likelihood of its use.

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Mental Health Crisis Location and Police Transportation Decisions: The Impact of Crisis Intervention Team Training on Crisis Center Utilization

Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice ◽

10.1177/1043986219836595 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 241-260 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Erin B. Comartin ◽

Leonard Swanson ◽

Sheryl Kubiak

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Crisis Intervention ◽

Mental Illnesses ◽

Mental Health Crisis ◽

Crisis Intervention Team ◽

Promising Alternative ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Intervention Team ◽

The Impact

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) research has shown increases in officer transports of individuals with serious mental illness to emergency departments (ED) which, while more appropriate than incarceration, can be expensive and lack linkage to long-term mental health services. Mental health crisis centers offer a promising alternative, but impact may be limited by proximal distance and lack of officer awareness. To address this concern, this study asked, “Does CIT training affect officer transport decisions to a crisis center over a nearby ED?” Researchers analyzed crisis call reports in a Midwestern county and found increased use of the crisis center and decreased use of EDs by officers after CIT was implemented. The crisis location affected officer transport decisions, yet CIT officers were more likely than non-CIT officers to travel farther for appropriate linkage. Findings suggest CIT changes officer behavior, which could potentially lead to long-term, low-cost treatment for individuals with serious mental illnesses when there is a mental health crisis center.

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