Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training 

“Mental Health Awareness and De-escalation Training to Improve
First Responder and Consumer Safety”

WHEN 
40-hour, week-long training:
Monday, May 16 - Friday, May 20 @ 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, each day

AUDIENCE
All first responders working/volunteering or residing in Coos or Northern Grafton Counties, including Law Enforcement, State Police, Fish and Game Conservation Officers, EMS, Fire Fighters, and Sheriffs. Also encouraged-  Corrections Officers/Staff, Judicial System Security Personnel, and other similar positions who would benefit from this knowledge

PROGRAM OVERVIEW 

CIT increases effectiveness of first responders in “improving outcomes for people experiencing a crisis due to a mental or substance use disorder… to recognize a person who is in crisis and safely direct them to treatment appropriate for their condition… This model has been successful in many communities, bringing together police and other first responders with resources… result is a decrease in the number of mental-health related arrests while increasing public safety”- SAMHSA[1]

CIT is a first responder model of crisis intervention training to help persons with mental disorders and/or addictions access medical treatment rather than placing them in the criminal justice system due to illness-related behaviors. The CIT model reduces stigma and provides a forum for effective problem solving regarding the interaction between the criminal justice and mental health care system, creating the context for sustainable change.

This training is hosted by North Country Health Consortium (NCHC) and facilitated by NAMI-NH. 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By participating in this training, participants will:

• Learn about Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) and their practical application in their own police department
• Develop an understanding of how the CIT program works and how it fits into the department’s patrol operation
• Learn how to interact with persons in psychiatric crisis
• Learn how certain techniques may safely defuse potentially violent encounters
• Discuss the state and community mental health system to enable participants to help mental health consumers in crisis to access community-based services     

11COST & SCHOLARSHIP INFO

NCHC is not charging a registration fee to attend the North Country CIT training; however, scholarships are available to organizations sending participants to support first responder attendance at this week-long training.

The scholarship is provided as education support for first responder agencies, such as law enforcement, fire, and EMS, to make participation more feasible. Education support is provided in the amount of $500.00 per participant to lessen the financial burden for such an intense, week-long training commitment. A separate request form is required for each participant seeking scholarship support.

*Access the scholarship form and submit by May 11, 2022!

Scholarship Eligibility*

All first responders working/volunteering or residing in Coos or Northern Grafton Counties are eligible.

A First Responder is defined as: Law Enforcement, State Police, Fish and Game Conservation Officers, EMS, Fire Fighters, and Sheriffs. Other eligible participants include Corrections Officers/Staff, Judicial System Security Personnel, and other similar positions who would benefit from this knowledge. Agencies can request scholarships for more than one attendee; however, approval may need to be limited based on the volume of requests from other regional agencies. It is in the best interest of the region to encourage attendance from varied agencies and communities. 

*Please review scholarship form for full eligibility criteria and requirements 

SCHOLARSHIP REQUEST PROCESS

1. Please click the following link to access and complete the Scholarship Request Form. 
   
   
2. Return to Annette Carbonneau, Director of Community Health Programs, no later than May 11, 2022: 
   
   Email: acarbonneau@NCHCNH.org, or fax: (603) 444-0945

NOTE: All fields in the application must be filled to be eligible for the scholarship. All Scholarship Request Forms must be signed by the participant and the Chief or Business Official of the corresponding agency. Determination of scholarship awards will be completed no later than May 11, 2022. Scholarship requests WILL NOT be considered after May 11, 2022.

FUNDING 

This training is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number H1URH32387 for the Rural Health Opioid Program. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

REGISTER

Please register and apply for a scholarship BY May 11!