Who should attend:
Emergency Service Dispatchers currently working with any Stark County law enforcement agency.
Description:
Stark County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery supports the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training of law enforcement professionals in our community. Crucial to reducing violence and ensuring successful intervention of mental health and substance use situations, dispatchers are trained in proven and effective communication techniques.
The CIT model was first developed and implemented in 1988 by the Memphis, Tennessee Police Department. The Team was developed to address the special challenges to law enforcement posed by persons with mental illness and to better serve the community.
Emergency dispatchers are a critical link in the CIT program and may include call-takers, dispatchers and 911 operators. The success of CIT depends on their familiarity with the CIT program, knowledge of how to recognize a CIT call involving a behavioral crisis event, ability to solicit information that will help the community member and the responding CIT Officer, and appropriate dispatch of CIT Officers.