On May 26, 2021, area law enforcement agencies concluded a 40 hour Crisis Intervention Team training course held at Houston storm shelter. Law enforcement officers from the Texas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Ozark County Sheriff’s Office, Cabool Police Department, Houston Police Department, Licking Police Department, along with the Texas County Public Administrator’s Office and the Texas County Health department attended the training.
The Missouri Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Council is a network of representatives from each established local council across the state, Community Mental Health Liaisons (CMHLs), state agencies and associations, and those with lived experience. The Council works to address any structural barriers at the state level and advocates for policy and legislative changes that may be necessary to support health and wellness. The Council also provides direction and support on the CIT curriculum, training expansion, and implementation of the program. The training in Houston was coordinated by Mandy Lindsey CMHL, for the Mid South Region and Perry County Detective Jason Klaus Missouri CIT coordinator. The classes were instructed by various professionals from area law enforcement agencies, courts, Ozarks Healthcare, and local Pharmacist Amanda Cook. Attendees also had the opportunity to discuss crisis situations with people who described their personal experiences and interactions with law enforcement.
Officers and persons attending the course received training on various topics including hospital/court procedures, medications, de-escalation, autism spectrum disorder, veterans’ issues, community resources, suicide prevention and intervention and other related topics. Police are often the first to be called for a crisis situation involving persons with a mental illness. These crisis situations can and have involved officer and citizen injury or deaths. CIT training significantly decreases injuries, death, and community dissent. In turn, persons with a mental illness are diverted to the mental health system and treatment rather than to jail or to return to the streets. Citizens become more confident in reporting crisis situations and police officers are better prepared to respond safely to those situations. Crisis intervention shifts from lose-lose to win-win.
The attendees concluded the final day of training with practical scenarios to utilize techniques learned throughout the course. Upon completion of the training the officers were presented with a CIT lapel pin that can be worn on their uniforms to alert citizens that they have been trained to assist people in crisis. The Texas County portion of the CIT will meet monthly to discuss people in the community in need of crisis intervention resources and plan for ways to assist them. Houston Police Chief Brad Evans is the chairperson for the Texas County CIT.
Sheriff Scott Lindsey’s comments: “This training is another great example of our area law enforcement working together to solve problems. CIT is great resource to have in our community and will be used to assist many people in need. I would like to thank Jason and Mandy for putting together this training and Chief Evans for serving as the chairperson of the Texas County CIT.”
