Police officers are increasingly tasked with responding to behavioral health (BH) crises in their communities. Police are often the first contact with the justice system for individuals experiencing crises related to mental health disorders (MHDs), substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), or traumatic brain injuries. Studies show that an estimated 6 to 10 percent of all police contact with the public in the United States involves individuals with serious mental illnesses.1
With the prevalence of interactions between police and individuals experiencing BH crises, the need for crisis response programs and training has grown.
Effective crisis response is a crucial part of many communities across jurisdictions, geographical locations, and population sizes. Policing agencies that partner with local BH organizations, hospitals, and other community stakeholders can better serve their communities by planning and implementing crisis response programs. Additionally, having easy access to crisis response training and curricula can reduce the administrative load for agencies looking to implement these programs.
“We realized some people’s CIT training is now more than 18-20 years old. It’s just a really good opportunity for people to refresh their skills and get some new information on de-escalation skills and how to resolve conflict.” —Sergeant Jason Winsky, Tucson Police Department, Arizona
The IACP partnered with the University of Cincinnati, Policy Research Associates, The Arc of the United States’ National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability, the National Policing Institute, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to create the Crisis Response and Intervention Training (CRIT) curriculum. CRIT is a freely accessible, off-the-shelf, and highly customizable training curriculum that is based on the original 40-hour Memphis Model Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training. CRIT reflects extensions to the CIT Training model by incorporating information on IDD and effective responses to people with IDD. Additionally, CRIT is designed to support police agencies in their implementation of many different crisis response models in their community—which may include, but are not limited to, CIT.
The CRIT curriculum includes instructor guides, presentation slides, participant workbooks, and resources for engaging community partners and people with lived experience. Whether used in full or with select modules, the training complements the development and delivery of a variety of crisis response models like CIT. In August 2024, CRIT was named as the primary curriculum of CIT International.
Evidence supports the positive impact of crisis response training, such as CIT training, which includes de-escalation–focused crisis response and de-escalation skills and strategies. CIT has elevated patrol officers’ perception of BH crises, decreased use-of-force instances, addressed the stigmatization of MHDs, and increased confidence in de-escalation and crisis management skills.2 These and other successes show that crisis response training, in conjunction with functional CIT programs and community partnerships, are an effective way to enhance police response to BH crises in the community.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE FIELD: CASE STUDY OF PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONABy: Diana Lobos, Program Coordinator, Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), Pima County Justice Services, Arizona The Pima County Department of Justice Services successfully integrated innovative training methodologies into its two-decade-long CIT program. A significant leap forward was made possible through participation in the IACP’s CRIT Train-the-Trainer pilot program. This invaluable training experience allowed agency leaders to sharpen the curriculum, refine the approach to training the trainers, and formally incorporate advanced training for role players and clinicians who were crucial in providing feedback during scenario exercises. Over the past year, the county expanded their training, increasing the number of courses from two to three annually while also introducing an additional eight-hour CRIT Refresher course and an eight-hour Advanced CRIT training. Notably, these refresher and advanced training modules mark a pioneering development in Arizona. Through the IACP’s extensive network, the agency was able to connect with counties in Texas and Ohio to develop training specifically designed for the unique needs of Pima County. The inaugural CRIT Refresher training took place on October 17, 2024, marking a significant milestone in the agency’s ongoing commitment to enhancing crisis intervention practices. The CRIT Refresher course is a comprehensive eight-hour training program that covers the latest developments in CIT initiatives, essential skills, pertinent legal updates, and trauma-informed response techniques. Meanwhile, the Advanced CRIT training provides an in-depth exploration of contemporary issues facing law enforcement and first responders. Topics such as suicide prevention and intervention are addressed, emphasizing officer wellness and resiliency, alongside the introduction of new de-escalation techniques and best practices. This advanced training specifically caters to the challenges encountered when interacting with individuals with IDD, ensuring that first responders are well equipped to handle a diverse array of situations with care and competence. |
Along with creating the curriculum, the CRIT Initiative also provides training and technical assistance (TTA) to BJA-funded agencies to implement CRIT and other crisis response programs. The IACP supports 44 police and corrections grantee sites, ranging from small and rural agencies to statewide programs. TTA ranges from developing resources for the field, holding cohort calls to promote peer-to-peer learning, identifying relevant resources for various crisis-related questions, and helping agencies develop implementation plans for their program. The CRIT Initiative TTA webpage showcases the IACP’s TTA resources and the grantee sites’ projects. Learn more at theIACP.org/projects/crit-initiative-tta.
The CRIT Initiative implemented the first BJA-funded CRIT Train-the-Trainer (TTT) in July 2024 hosted by Michigan State Police in the City of Lansing. Representatives from eight policing agencies, including police and corrections officers, BH professionals, and crisis response training coordinators, gathered for the three-day training. Subject matter experts instructed participants on a variety of topics, including developing and enhancing their crisis response programs. Participants also learned about the CRIT curriculum, various tools and resources associated with the CRIT Initiative, and valuable training techniques for implementing a co-training model. The training prepares attendees to teach CRIT to police officers and best practices for developing strong community partnerships with local mental health and BH organizations and IDD-focused advocacy groups.
One of the grantee sites that participated in the CRIT TTT was Pima County, Arizona. The Pima County team utilized BJA’s CRIT grantee funding to enhance their CIT program by using the CRIT curriculum to supplement their training. This enhancement reflects the county’s commitment to continuously innovate their responses to individuals with IDD in crisis.
The CRIT Initiative plans to hold three additional TTT events in 2025 for grantees and other interested agencies to build a cadre of CRIT trainers that can expand access to this critical training across the field. d
CRIT@theiacp.org. Additionally, the free, off-the-shelf curriculum is available for download and customization at www.informedpoliceresponses.com/crit-toolkit.
Notes:
1James D. Livingston, “Contact Between Police and People with Mental Disorders: A Review of Rates,” Psychiatric Services 67, no. 8 (August 2016): 850–57.
2 Watson AC, Compton MT, Draine JN. The crisis intervention team (CIT) model: An evidence-based policing practice? Behavioral Science & the Law 35, no. 5-6 (September 2017):431–441.
Please cite as
Louisa Emhof, “The Crisis Response and Intervention Training Initiative: Lessons Learned from the Field,” IACP@Work, Police Chief 91, no. 12 (December 2024): 72–73.
