Community Classes
Combination of agencies
Specific Agency
PD
Firefighters
Detention Officers
Transit Police
Specialized classes
Child CIT
Administrators
Teachers; Staff
School Police
How do you tailor the class?
Collaborate; find out what is needed
Collaborate; incorporate instructors from
that agency
Core Subjects
I. CIT History
II. Mental Health Classes
(these classes are aimed at reducing stigma;
increasing knowledge)
III. Developmental Disorders
IV. Emergency Detentions
(or your term for involuntary apprehension)
Core Subjects
V. Active Listening/De-escalation
VI.
CIT Response
VII. Consumer/Family’s Perspective
VIII. Resources
IX.
Role Plays
How CIT Began
Memphis
Our State
Our City/County
Be Creative
Psychosis
Mood Disorders/Anxiety Disorders
Child Issues
PTSD
Depression; Suicide
Personality Disorders
Who is Your Student?
Include Suicide by Cop
Include Officer Suicide: Taking Care of Our Own
Role Plays
Intellectual Disability
Autism
ADHD
Understanding and recognition of symptoms
Discussion on handling (speaking and physical contact)
persons with developmental disorders
This is important to understand and decisions are
dependent on local statutes – e.g., In Texas we can’t
execute an application for Emergency Detention on
persons with developmental disorders, Alzheimer’s or
Dementia
Include basics; definition
Include the law
Any other relevant issues: travel, dress, vehicle used;
policies
Include the forms used and slow it down; decision
making exercises in deciding to conduct an ED and
practice in completing the forms
Role Play: part of the grading whether or not to ED
Our bread and butter: how to talk to a
consumer; how to listen
MORE PIE
Low and slow
Role plays
CIT Response
Definition of a crisis
Levels of violence
Use of Force
Identify Indicators of Mental Illness
Types of Questions to Ask the Consumer
Three minute assessment
Responding to Domestic Disturbances
Values of CIT
Nothing is more personal than the consumer’s own
story in their own words
Nothing provides more insight than a family member
discussing dealing with the day to day issues and
experiences with a loved one who suffers from a
mental illness, including the services provided, or not
provided, by the police
It is difficult to obtain a child’s perspective
Resources
Provides audience with information related to hospitals, mental
health agencies, specific agencies who deal with specific agencies
Resource panel on a specific day
Invite area mental health resource providers
NAMI
State Hospital
Judges
Mental Health Authority
County DMOT
Eating Disorder Specialists (Child CIT)
Juvenile Probation (Child CIT)
Hospitals who accept children with mental
issues (Child CIT)
COP Cards
Mini fairs
Invite area community resources to have a
tables providing agency specific literature
concerning their services
Who is your student?
Provides an opportunity
for the officer to use
their active listening
skills
Specific role plays on
different days to match
the topic of the day
Use mental health professionals as
actors
In Child CIT classes use child actors
or police explorers
In police suicide role plays use police
officers as actors
Graded to provide immediate feedback
Graded on initial approach, tactics, obtained
relevant information, establish rapport, and
disposition of the call
Practice for skill test role play at the end of
the course
Jail Diversion
Not optional for us because it’s required by
TCLEOSE but it is an excellent
opportunity to show why diversion is
preferable to arrest and booking
Invite the local Mental Health Authority to
come in and present the class
Excited Delirium
Officers will get calls that may appear to involve a
person in a mental health crisis when in reality
the person is in a state of delirium and at high
risk of death if handled improperly
Excellent opportunity to provide officers with
critical information that may involve civil and
criminal liability
Homeless Issues
Again, not optional for us, but a great class to
highlight the large number of homeless persons
who have a mental illness and, more recently,
the problem of veteran’s who are homeless and
experiencing PTSD, traumatic brain injuries or
other mental illnesses
Include Relevant Subjects
ADHD, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant
Disorder
Cutting/Self Harm
Depression; Suicide
Brain Development
Be Creative & Inclusive
Name Tags
Name Plates
On Slides
Who is Your Student?
Be inclusive
Invite Community Leaders, Agency leaders
Awards Presentation
Establishes a positive camaraderie from the
beginning