The Prescott Valley Police Department (PVPD) has successfully expanded its Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and mental health de-escalation training program through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), under the Safer Outcomes initiative.
Through this support, PVPD has delivered multiple evidence-based crisis response trainings designed to enhance officers’ ability to safely and effectively respond to individuals experiencing mental health crises. The program focuses on strengthening mental health awareness, improving communication strategies, promoting officer resiliency, and implementing safe de-escalation techniques.
Expanding Regional and National Partnerships
The training program has been made available to outside agencies and has drawn participation from more than 60 municipal, county, tribal, federal, education, behavioral health, and nonprofit organizations. Participating partners include:
• Municipal, county, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies from across Arizona and other states • Probation and court systems
• Fire and emergency communications partners
• Behavioral health providers and nonprofit organizations
• School districts and higher education institutions
• Veteran support organizations
This broad participation reflects the growing strength of cross-sector collaboration and a shared commitment to improving responses to individuals experiencing crisis situations. By bringing together public safety, healthcare, education, and community organizations, the program promotes coordinated, compassionate, and effective approaches to crisis response.
This project was supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number 15JCOPS-24-GG-05391-DETU awarded to Town of Prescott Valley by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) or contributor(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific individuals, agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues.
The internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites are in constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch for their current validity.
Prescott Valley Police Department can be contacted at 928-772-9267 for non-emergencies, and 911 for emergencies. Yavapai County Silent witness is 1-800-932-3232.
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