Deadline for Submissions of Presentations is Oct 30, 2015
U.S. Dept of Justice Investigative Reports on police organizations
Federal Justice officials have released their first 93-page review of how Portland (OR) police are complying with a host of required policy, training and oversight reforms.
From Dept. of Justice report - page 51: footnote:
"To assist in further development of a Memphis Model CIT program, BHU, training staff, and ECIT officers should be encouraged to attend the CIT International Conference, to the extent possible, April 25-27, 2016 in Chicago http://citconferences.org/ "
CIT trained Yellowstone National Park Ranger Christine Farrar, responded to assist local law enforcement with a call for a domestic disturbance involving a local couple, and their 6 year old daughter. Initial responding officers stayed with the husband and daughter while mom had taken off in her car. Mom, who had reported that she was going to "jump off the bridge" prior to leaving - was located at the River's edge and had begun walking toward the bridge. An officer stepped in her path, and she retreated to the edge of the river bank (approximate 50 foot drop to the river) when CIT-trained park ranger was able to intervene and talk with her.
Conclusion, mom has a history of mental health issues and family had been going through some huge, life changing events Mom agreed to transport and evaluation at the local hospital.
Georgia Man on the Road to Recovery After Four Decades
Huffington Post
Posted: Updated:
"Before my recovery, I was all of those horrible, scary things that you hear about regarding mental illness and addiction. I was that in spades, not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. I believed that's who I was. It was a hopeless place to be and I was there for 40 years. Forty years is a long time to be anywhere, but especially there...
...A Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training group was doing a site visit. A lot of the CIT training group were police I had had fights with before. The officer who had broken my back was there. I was dealing with a myriad of emotions. There was one lady who had the nicest face. I didn't know who she was, but I focused on her, because I didn't feel comfortable looking at the others in the room...
...I thought recovery was me not going backwards. I didn't have a vision for going forward..." read full story
Executive Summary:
A Survey about Mental Health and Suicide in the United States
The lifetime risk of suicide among individuals with schizophrenia is about 5 percent, and with bipolar disorder is 10-15 percent. The rate of attempted suicide in individuals with severe mental illness is much higher, with some studies reporting 50 percent.
For those living with mental health conditions, it's about engaging in the most effective treatment to manage symptoms and maintain quality of life. When someone is thinking about suicide it is important to develop strategies for dealing with these thoughts and engaging a support network of family, friends and professionals who know the warning signs of suicide and what might be helpful.
From the Treatment Advocacy Center - guest commentary
San Antonio's Sheriff Personal Fight to Fix Broken System
(Aug. 13, 2015) My brother was bipolar. This was in the 1960s and 1970s before we knew what lithium was or how to control chemical imbalances. He spent that time in and out of mental institutions. I saw firsthand the challenges of a family dealing with mental illness at a time when it was pushed under the rug and was seen as an embarrassment. So it's always been important to me...
Today, I am the sheriff of Bexar County, Texas, which includes the city of San Antonio, and is home to the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, the 16th largest jail in the nation. Of the 4,000 incarcerated in our jail, more than 800 are being treated for some type of mental illness.
The nation's jails have become de facto mental institutions, where law enforcement is increasingly relied upon to deal with individuals who are suffering from mental health issues. Bexar County spends $2.2 million annually on psychotropic drugs to treat people with mental illnesses in our jail, nearly 60 percent whom have been arrested five times or more. read it all
The Times Picayune & The New Orleans Advocate
New Orleans Police Department trains first group of mental health crisis intervention officers
photo by John McCusker for the Times Picayune
New Orleans Police Department Officer Nicola Cotton died at 24, the victim of a mentally ill man who gained control of her service weapon and shot her in 2008 in Central City.
An NOPD detective shot Christopher Olmstead in the Holy Cross neighborhood in July after the 60-year-old man went on what police described as a rampage with his pickup. Neighbors said he had experienced repeated mental health episodes for years.
The danger in such encounters can be great for both police and civilians, but until now, the NOPD has lacked specialized training for officers faced with mental health crises. On Thursday, though, the department recognized the first graduating batch of 24 officers specially trained to respond to mental and behavioral incidents.
People often ask what research has been done on CIT.
Through the efforts of the Research Committee of CIT International, we can now provide a Bibliography of Research papers and journal articles on findings pertaining to CIT.
The Team newsletter is normally sent to current members of CIT International. This issue is being sent to a broader list; if you would like to receive it on a regular basis, please ensure that your membership is current.
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