THOMAS JEFFERSON AREA
CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM
N E W S L E T T E R
DCJS GRANT
RENEWED FOR
FY09
(July 1,2008 to June 30, 2009)
•
•
Grant total of
$165,799
With 25% local
match requirement of $41,450
Thomas Jefferson Area
Crisis Intervention Team
750 Harris Street, Suite 207
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Thomas L. von Hemert
CIT Coordinator
Email: thomasvh@oar-jacc.org
Phone: 434-296-2441 ext. 117
Volume 1, Issue 2
Summer 2008
Welcome to the CIT Newsletter
The Thomas Jefferson
Area Crisis Intervention
Team has received confirmation of renewed funding
for FY09 from DCJS to
continue the CIT training of
area law enforcement agencies. The objectives in
place for FY09 include an
increase in CIT training to
55% of police officers in
the Charlottesville, Albemarle, and University of
Virginia Police Departments. Part of the grant
will also go toward expanding CIT programs for
all rural sheriff’s depart-
ments in the Thomas Jefferson Area CCJB Region.
The objective in these
seven counties is to raise
CIT training levels to 35%
of their deputies. ACRJ,
CVRJ, and 911 dispatchers will also participate in
the trainings too.
Page 2
CIT Monthly Review Meeting
This group meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. For information or questions about CIT
cases, contact your agency representative or Tom von Hemert directly.
Department
Name
Phone No.
E-mail
Albemarle-Charlottesville
Regional Jail
David Livesay
Randy Keffer
Albemarle Police Dept.
Officer James Brown
Officer Greg Davis
(434) 977-9041
(434) 296-5807
brownj@albemarle.org
davisg@albemarle.org
Charlottesville Police Dept.
Officer Eric Pendleton
(434) 566-1442
pendleton@charlottesville.org
Emergency Communications
Center (ECC)
Lisa Fitzgerald
(434) 977-9041
lfitzger@albemarle.org
Office of the Public Defender
Albie LaFave
(434) 951-6300 ext:18
alafave@idc.virginia.gov
On Our Own
Will Gallik
(434) 979-2440
onourown@cstone.net
Region Ten CSB
Emergency Services
Lori Wood
Buzz Barnett
(434) 972-1892
loriw@regionten.org
buzzb@regionten.org
UVA Hospital
Mike Ralph, RN
(434) 982-1811
MR2UA@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu
UVA Police Dept.
Sgt. Casey Accord
(434) 924-8838
cda9t@virginia.edu
An Individual in Crisis May...
•
Not understand your commands
•
Not want his or her disability to be noticed
•
Be confused with the severity of the situation
•
Have difficulty describing the facts of the situation
(434) 977-6981 ext.282 livesayd@acrj.org
(434) 977-6981 ext:217 kefferra@acrj.org
Officers Trained in CIT:
(After Eight 40-hour CIT Trainings)
UVA Police Department:
28
Albemarle Police Department:
27
Charlottesville Police Department:
24
Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail:
18
Emergency Communication Center:
9
Albemarle Sheriff’s Department:
4
Central Virginia Regional Jail:
4
Louisa County Sheriff’s Department:
3
•
Say what they think you want them to say
•
Be overwhelmed by police presence
Orange County Sheriff’s Department:
2
•
Be the last to leave a scene and the first to get
caught
Nelson County Sheriff’s Department:
Greene County Sheriff’s Department:
2
1
•
Be seeking peer approval
Charlottesville Sheriff’s Department:
1
•
Not understand his or her rights
Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Department:
Goochland County Sheriff’s Department:
1
1
TOTAL :
125
Page 3
Remember Your Verbal Crisis “Playbook”
Thomas Jefferson Area
“IT WORKS!”
CIT TASKFORCE
JUDICIAL
Hon. Bob Downer
1. Introduce yourself
2. Obtain the person’s name
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Chief Tim Longo
Chief Mike Gibson
Chief John Miller
Sheriff Chip Harding
Sheriff Cornelia Johnson
3. Expressive feelings:
•
What you know…
•
What you’ve learned…
•
What you see…
4. Restating and/or summary… a good “active listener”
Intervention Tip
of the Month:
When encountering an
individual who appears
to be mentally ill and in
crisis, an officer can call
Region Ten Emergency
Services for information
or assistance at
(434) 972-1800
Techniques for helping a person threatening
to commit suicide
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use body language to demonstrate true concern and
empathy for the individual
Listen actively
Be patient
Use a soft tone of voice
Take a non-threatening stance
Look into the individual’s eyes
Give plenty of space, allow the individual to breathe
JAIL
Col. Ronald Matthews
Juanita Morris
David Livesay
LEGAL
Jim Hingeley
Dave Chapman
Alex Gulotta
Albie LaFave
Lacey Parker
Joe Platania
Nathan Veldhuis
MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES
Jenny Oliver
Will Gallik
Alison Hymes
Cynthia Power
UVA HEALTH SYSTEM
Dr. Ed Kantor
Mike Ralph, RN
MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES
Lori Wood
Buzz Barnett
Reed Banks
Dr. Mary Clare Smith
Paul “Nick” Hundley, Ph.D
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES
Pat Smith
Fahy Mullaney
Cheryl Thompson
Rudi Schuster
PROJECT EVALUATORS
Reid Bailey
Michael Smith
STAFF
Thomas von Hemert
Page 4
NEW LAW
CIT Graduation Speech
Started July 1, 2008
Given by UVA Officer Les Robertson
ECO Renewal
1. Always remember officer safety.
2. Establish rapport
A Magistrate may
renew the 4 hour
ECO for up to 2
additional hours
for good cause.
(Good cause reasons may include
getting medical
clearance or time
for the CSB to find
a suitable facility).
A verbal request
for the extension
to the magistrate
can be made by a
doctor, a CSB
emergency services worker, or an
officer.
(You can’t expect someone to cooperate that doesn’t connect with you).
3. Have patience.
(Don’t expect a rapid response to your questions. There may be
distractions that the client is experiencing.)
4. Always ask open ended fact finding questions in order for you
to have a glimpse of what is causing the subject’s crisis.
5. Continue rapport throughout the interaction.
6. Once you have determined the cause of the crisis, restate it to the
subject to determine if this is the primary cause.
7. Throughout the interaction, ask if the subject has been prescribed
medication for the condition, and if he/she is taking them.
8. Ask if they are currently receiving treatment, who the counselor is,
and where they are located.
9. Always remember this subject is in crisis!
He/she is not a criminal. (If laws have been broken you can obtain
warrants later if justified. Tell the subject, “You have done nothing
wrong. I am only here to help.”)
10. As the situation allows, guide the subject to seek help. Utilize
Region Ten Emergency Services. Contact them via phone. Give
the subject’s name and ask if
s/he has a history, and you can
bring him/her in.
University of Virginia Officer
Les Robertson, a CIT trained
officer with over 11 years of
law enforcement experience.
Speech given at the April
2008 40-Hour CIT Training.