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CIT Training in Jefferson County

Jefferson County received two grants to improve responses to mental health crises. The Mobile Access Program allows mental health providers to remotely evaluate individuals in crisis and avoid unnecessary hospital transports. A second grant is developing a Crisis Intervention Team program between law enforcement, mental health, and advocacy groups. The goals are to reduce arrests, refer to treatment, and prevent adverse incidents involving mental illness. Stakeholders mapped the current crisis response system to identify strengths and gaps to address in developing the CIT program. Starting September 11, law enforcement officers can attend 40-hour CIT training to increase knowledge and skills for interacting with individuals in emotional distress.

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765 views2 pages

CIT Training in Jefferson County

Jefferson County received two grants to improve responses to mental health crises. The Mobile Access Program allows mental health providers to remotely evaluate individuals in crisis and avoid unnecessary hospital transports. A second grant is developing a Crisis Intervention Team program between law enforcement, mental health, and advocacy groups. The goals are to reduce arrests, refer to treatment, and prevent adverse incidents involving mental illness. Stakeholders mapped the current crisis response system to identify strengths and gaps to address in developing the CIT program. Starting September 11, law enforcement officers can attend 40-hour CIT training to increase knowledge and skills for interacting with individuals in emotional distress.

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Newzjunky
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Jefferson County Community Services

County Government Building


Timothy Ruetten 175 Arsenal Street Christina O’Neil
MS, LMHC, CASAC Watertown, NY 13601 LCSW-R
Director Telephone (315) 785-3283 Board Chairperson
Fax (315) 785-5182

PRESS RELEASE

Watertown, NY September 8, 2023 – In early 2022, Jefferson County was selected as the recipient of two
technical assistance grants through a New York State Senate sponsored initiative coordinated by the Institute
for Police, Mental Health and Community Collaboration in conjunction with the New York State Office of Mental
Health.

Implemented in July 2022, the Mobile Access Program, also known as MAP, is a coordinated effort between
the Jefferson County Community Services Office, Children’s Home of Jefferson County, Community Clinic of
Jefferson County, and the Watertown Police Department. Its purpose is to connect residents in crisis with a
mental health provider via an iPad when law enforcement officers request the assistance. The mental health
provider then conducts an evaluation remotely to help plan for an appropriate disposition. The goals of this
program are to increase the availability of timely mental health consultations, to avoid unnecessary and
traumatic transports of individuals to our local hospital, and to decrease response times of officers when they
are having to respond to individuals that are in crisis.

The second grant commenced in February 2023 with a kickoff event held in Clifton Park, NY. This grant
supports the development of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program. CIT programs are community
collaborations and partnerships between law enforcement, the mental health system, and consumer and
advocacy groups. Among the goals of CIT are to reduce the number of arrests of individuals with mental
illness, refer them to treatment facilities or other support services, and eliminate adverse incidents between law
enforcement and those with mental illness. Part of the process in developing a CIT program is to closely
examine how the current service system responds to individuals with mental illness experiencing a crisis in the
community.

In April 2023, approximately 30 individuals representing key stakeholders from around Jefferson County came
together to conduct a “systems mapping” exercise to create a system “map” that details how the criminal
justice and behavioral health systems identify and handle individuals experiencing mental health-related crises.
Identifying current strengths and gaps in the system is particularly important in the context of CIT program
development to ensure that any aspect of the system that needs attention gets that prior to, or concurrent with,
CIT training.

As a follow up to the mapping exercise, starting Monday, September 11th, Law Enforcement Officers will have
the opportunity to attend a 40-hour education and scenario training co-facilitated by representatives from law
enforcement and the mental health system. Through this training, LEOs will have the opportunity to increase
their knowledge, skills, and confidence related to interactions with individuals in emotional distress. Law
Enforcement Officers will also learn about diversion resources in their communities, to enhance their ability to
connect individuals to appropriate treatment as an alternative to arrest, whenever possible.

Additional elements to the CIT program grant include:


- The development of a local steering committee for the purpose of acting as the vehicle for making
changes to the crisis response system, and as a touchstone to stay focused on goals and data
collection;
- 8 hour Mental Health First Aid Training for officers who did not attend the CIT training. MHFA teaches
skills, resources, and knowledge to equip officers to effectively respond to individuals in crisis; and
- A train the trainer opportunity for law enforcement officers and mental health professionals to support
sustainability of the CIT program and associated trainings for our local officers in the future.

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