Crisis Intervention Team
What is CIT?
The CIT concept was first formed in 1983, by the local Memphis NAMI affiliate, a division of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. However it was not until September 1987, in the aftermath of a shooting episode in the Memphis area during which a mentally ill man was killed by law enforcement officers, that a task force was established in Memphis to find ways to prevent such tragedies from occurring. As a result of this task force a partnership was formed which became the Crisis Intervention Team (Memphis Model), consisting of law enforcement agencies, emergency medical and psychiatric services, receiving hospitals, families of the mentally ill, and consumers. CIT became an innovated police based first responder program that provides crisis intervention training for helping individuals with mental illness.
Who are CIT Officers?
CIT officers are law enforcement officers who volunteer to respond to crisis calls from citizens in their communities. These calls involve complex issues relating to mental illness and substance use.
What does the CIT class consist of?
CIT classes consists of 40 hours of training during a one week period. The classes topics include psychiatric conditions, substance abuse, PTSD/Trauma, children's diagnosis, developmental disabilities, Alzheimer's, excited delirium, suicide, death notifications, Marchman Act and Baker Act. Officers also learn and practice de-escalation techniques.
Palm Beach County CIT
In 2001 the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) appointed the Human Services Task Force to develop a "mentally ill offenders" workgroup. This task force studied the problem of high numbers of individuals with mental illness being arrested for minor crimes and placed in the criminal justice system subsequently needing treatment and support. The workgroup studied pre-booking diversion programs that provided a process of redirection to mental health and addiction treatment providers. The group selected the CIT Model as the program model for Palm Beach County.
How does Palm Beach County CIT help?
Our CIT model encourages communities, families, law enforcement officers, and mental health professionals to act as a compass for consumers of mental illness. Palm Beach County CIT provides an avenue for the development of community partnerships that addresses the community’s interest of service and care. CIT recognizes a special population that deserves special care, treatment, and service. CIT officers give consumers a sense of dignity, thereby generating a new respect for the police and a new outlook for those experiencing mental illness or substance abuse crisis.
The predicted impact of this initiative:
- Crisis response is immediate
- Officers are better trained and educated in verbal de-escalation techniques
- Officer and consumer injuries during crisis events decline
- Underserved consumers are identified by officers and provided with care
- Increase in pre-arrest diversion of mentally ill from criminal justice system
As of 2019, Palm Beach County CIT has:
- Provided eighty-seven (87) CIT classes
- Provided nine (9) Dispatcher classes
- Trained 2248 Officers
- Trained 233 Dispatchers
- Collaborated with 25 law enforcement agencies within Palm Beach County
Allied agencies also participating include: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, PBC Fire Rescue, PBC Telecommunications dispatchers, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Boston Police Department, Florida State Attorney’s Office, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, New Horizon’s of the Treasure Coast and South County Mental Health.
Contributions and support help us provide CIT Classes, an annual recognition event, continued representation at state, national, and international conferences and symposiums.
The CIT concept was first formed in 1983, by the local Memphis NAMI affiliate, a division of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. However it was not until September 1987, in the aftermath of a shooting episode in the Memphis area during which a mentally ill man was killed by law enforcement officers, that a task force was established in Memphis to find ways to prevent such tragedies from occurring. As a result of this task force a partnership was formed which became the Crisis Intervention Team (Memphis Model), consisting of law enforcement agencies, emergency medical and psychiatric services, receiving hospitals, families of the mentally ill, and consumers. CIT became an innovated police based first responder program that provides crisis intervention training for helping individuals with mental illness.
Who are CIT Officers?
CIT officers are law enforcement officers who volunteer to respond to crisis calls from citizens in their communities. These calls involve complex issues relating to mental illness and substance use.
What does the CIT class consist of?
CIT classes consists of 40 hours of training during a one week period. The classes topics include psychiatric conditions, substance abuse, PTSD/Trauma, children's diagnosis, developmental disabilities, Alzheimer's, excited delirium, suicide, death notifications, Marchman Act and Baker Act. Officers also learn and practice de-escalation techniques.
Palm Beach County CIT
In 2001 the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) appointed the Human Services Task Force to develop a "mentally ill offenders" workgroup. This task force studied the problem of high numbers of individuals with mental illness being arrested for minor crimes and placed in the criminal justice system subsequently needing treatment and support. The workgroup studied pre-booking diversion programs that provided a process of redirection to mental health and addiction treatment providers. The group selected the CIT Model as the program model for Palm Beach County.
How does Palm Beach County CIT help?
Our CIT model encourages communities, families, law enforcement officers, and mental health professionals to act as a compass for consumers of mental illness. Palm Beach County CIT provides an avenue for the development of community partnerships that addresses the community’s interest of service and care. CIT recognizes a special population that deserves special care, treatment, and service. CIT officers give consumers a sense of dignity, thereby generating a new respect for the police and a new outlook for those experiencing mental illness or substance abuse crisis.
The predicted impact of this initiative:
- Crisis response is immediate
- Officers are better trained and educated in verbal de-escalation techniques
- Officer and consumer injuries during crisis events decline
- Underserved consumers are identified by officers and provided with care
- Increase in pre-arrest diversion of mentally ill from criminal justice system
As of 2019, Palm Beach County CIT has:
- Provided eighty-seven (87) CIT classes
- Provided nine (9) Dispatcher classes
- Trained 2248 Officers
- Trained 233 Dispatchers
- Collaborated with 25 law enforcement agencies within Palm Beach County
Allied agencies also participating include: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, PBC Fire Rescue, PBC Telecommunications dispatchers, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Boston Police Department, Florida State Attorney’s Office, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, New Horizon’s of the Treasure Coast and South County Mental Health.
Contributions and support help us provide CIT Classes, an annual recognition event, continued representation at state, national, and international conferences and symposiums.
An overview of CIT and what our program is all about.
