RIPLEY, W.Va. (WTAP) – Crisis intervention training aims to better prepare first responders for mental health emergencies by teaching de-escalation and strengthening partnerships across agencies.
The 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training course covers de-escalation, officer wellness, substance use disorder and mental health, while building relationships among police, behavioral health providers and others who often respond to the same calls.
“Nationally, we believe about 20% of all dispatch calls have to do with some sort of mental health crisis,” said Hollis Lewis, CIT project director. “So what we want to do is, equip officers who have better tools in order to effectively deal with those situations.”
CEO of First Choice services Lata Menon said the biggest impact can come after the classroom, when responders know who to call and where to take someone who needs help.
“To me, the number one thing that comes out of this is that we bring folks together from different sectors,” Menon said. “So we’ve got first responders, behavioral health providers, peers in long-term recovery, and we connect them up. … Just by working together and knowing better what each of the players in the system does and what services they offer, we see amazing results just from that.”
For those attending, the training is also about a shift in mindset — slowing down, listening and recognizing that the underlying issue may be behavioral health.
“Just the approach they’ve taught us how to speak with people in crisis,” said Marc Gilbert, participant at the training. “Thirty years in law enforcement, you just feel like you can step in and take over. And a lot of times that’s not going to work. Just taking the time to sit back and listen to someone that’s in crisis can do much more than coming in and trying to control the situation.”
Crisis Intervention Teams Coordinator Mike Pifer said organizers hope what’s learned translates into safer outcomes for everyone involved, with more people routed to treatment instead of jail.
“And it’s lowering rates of use of force. It’s lowering incarceration rates,” Pifer said. “It’s really helping our communities and our police departments and safety, not for just the first responders, but for the people that we’re serving.”
Organizers said the trainings are held around the state based on community requests, and they’re encouraging agencies to keep building local partnerships so help is available before a crisis escalates.
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