Detective Jamie Shoemaker of the Geneseo Police Department, the Evanston Police Department, and Sergeant Travis Schaal of the Chatham Police Department recognized at 2025 CIT Awards

PEORIA, IL — Today, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) honored this year's Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Award recipients for their demonstrations of CIT principles including advocating for mental health resources, crisis response training, and community-centered, compassionate policing.

"These award recipients exemplify the values at the heart of CIT — compassion, courage, and community," said ILETSB Executive Director Keith Calloway. "Their work reminds us that effective policing goes beyond enforcement and represents the future of public safety that we are working toward in Illinois. Making a lasting difference in people's lives relies on fostering connection and displaying empathy to truly serve those in need."

Detective Jamie Shoemaker of the Geneseo Police Department is the 2025 Illinois CIT Lieutenant Aaron R. Landers Award Winner. Since beginning her career in 2015, Detective Shoemaker has made impactful contributions to mental health, crisis intervention, and community support. In 2021, Detective Shoemaker joined the Geneseo Police Department, where she became a certified Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) member and launched the IMPACT (Integrated Model Police and Crisis Team) Program, raising over $12,000 to support community members in need. This innovative initiative provides critical resources to individuals experiencing mental illness, substance use challenges, and crisis situations.

The Evanston Police Department is the 2025 Illinois CIT Department of the Year Award Winner. The department has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to assisting individuals in the community who have mental illnesses and behavioral disabilities through innovative approaches, collaborative partnerships, and officer training initiatives. Evanston PD has made CIT training a priority, ensuring that a majority of its 144 sworn officers have completed the certified 40-hour training, with officers regularly utilizing their CIT training in the field, employing deescalation techniques and crisis intervention strategies to improve outcomes for individuals in distress.

Sergeant Travis Schaal of the Chatham Police Department is the 2025 Illinois CIT Officer of the Year Award Winner. Earlier this year, Sergeant Schaal received recognition for his life-saving employment of CIT training after he used the skills and techniques he learned to deescalate a mental health crisis. Approximately a week later, Sergeant Schaal received a handwritten thank-you note from the woman he encountered, thanking him for ‘treating her like a human being’ and crediting him with saving her life.

Since 2003, ILETSB has provided state-certified CIT training to law enforcement officers throughout Illinois.  Participants who volunteer for this specialized, 40-hour training program receive intensive training on assisting individuals in the community who have a mental illness or behavioral disability. This training allows officers to respond effectively and compassionately to mental health crises, reducing the need for force and emergency hospitalization while increasing community trust and cooperation. To date, ILETSB has certified over 20,000 officers statewide from more than 675 agencies in this specialized program.

More than 200 participants gathered at the CIT Conference in Peoria for informational sessions, roundtable discussions, featured keynote presentations, networking, and more. The conference is Illinois’ premier event dedicated to CIT training, mental health collaboration, and community safety.

Photos of the CIT Conference and award ceremony are available HERE, courtesy of ILETSB.

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Join professionals from across the state for the premier Illinois event dedicated to Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, mental health collaboration, and community safety.

This multidisciplinary conference is designed for first responders, law enforcement, fire service, EMS, social workers, crisis clinicians, and mental health advocates to come together, share strategies, and enhance their skills in compassionate, effective crisis response.

Who Should Attend:

Police Officers | Firefighters | Paramedics | Emergency Dispatchers | Social Workers | Crisis Clinicians | Mental Health Advocates

What to Expect:

- Powerful Keynote Speakers

- Breakout Sessions

- Roundtable Discussions

- Networking Opportunities

- Mental Health Insights

- Special Guest Speakers

- Awards Ceremony

Registration Fees:

- In-State Single Registrant: $175

- Out-of-State & Federal Registrant: $225

- Group Rate (2+ Registrants): $160 per person

Mark your calendars and be part of this impactful event strengthening Illinois' crisis response efforts.

Register by clicking --> HERE

Join us on June 25-26, 2025, at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria, for expert-led training to enhance crisis response and strengthen community partnerships. This conference offers breakout sessions, networking and practical strategies to improve real-world crisis response.

Register today by heading to https://whova.com/portal/registration/-svnIhOOOsa6feh4QNqo/.

CIT Flyer

Mark your calendars to attend the conference, June 25 & 26, 2025!!

Since 2003, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) has provided state-certified Crisis Intervention Team training to law enforcement officers throughout Illinois. To date, the ILETSB has certified over 14,000 officers statewide, from more than 675 agencies in this specialized program.  The 2025 CIT Conference will include breakout sessions, superior keynotes, roundtable discussions, networking, and much more!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 7, 2025

CONTACT

ptb.media@illinois.gov

ILETSB Chairman Smoot’s Statement on Impact of Crisis Intervention Team Training

 Chatham police sergeant’s compassionate actions prevent tragedy, saving a life

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Today, Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) Chairman Sean Smoot issued the following statement on the life-saving impact of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training in law enforcement, as demonstrated recently by Sergeant Travis Schaal of the Chatham Police Department:

“Late one night while on patrol, Sergeant Schaal noticed a vehicle parked on train tracks in the 200 block of North State Street. Hours later, the vehicle remained in the same location, prompting his concern. Trusting his instincts, he approached the car and found an 18-year-old woman who initially claimed she was fine. However, relying on the skills and techniques he gained through CIT training, Sergeant Schaal engaged the young woman in conversation and created an atmosphere of trust.

“During their discussion, she revealed her true intentions: she had been struggling at home and in school and was planning to take her own life by waiting for an oncoming train. Through empathy, understanding, and professionalism, Sergeant Schaal convinced the woman to leave the tracks and come to the police department, where she could receive further assistance. She was later transported to a local hospital for mental health treatment.

“Approximately a week later. Segreant Schaal received a handwritten thank-you note from the woman. In the note, she thanked him for ‘treating her like a human being’ and credited him with saving her life. She noted that she had always been wary of first responders but that his kindness and compassion had changed her perspective.

“The actions of Sergeant Schaal exemplify the value and necessity of CIT Training. This program equips officers with the tools and understanding to deescalate mental health crises with care and empathy. Stories like these are a testament to the transformative nature of this training.”

ILETSB remains committed to expanding CIT training statewide to ensure that law enforcement professionals have the resources and knowledge they need to handle complex situations with professionalism and compassion.

For more information on CIT training or ILETSB’s programs, visit https://www.ptb.illinois.gov/training/crisis-intervention-team-cit/or contact PTB.CIT@Illinois.gov.

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About ILETSB

The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board is the state agency mandated to promote and maintain a high level of professional standards for law enforcement and correctional officers. Its purpose is to promote and protect citizen health, safety, and welfare by encouraging municipalities, counties, park districts, State-controlled universities, colleges, public community colleges and other local governmental agencies of this state and participating State agencies in their efforts to upgrade and maintain a high level of training and standards for law enforcement personnel.

Our CIT 20 year Anniversary State Conference was a Huge success!

We had a jam-packed event with over 200 in attendance including CIT officers, law enforcement administrators, dispatch, social workers, co-responder teams and everything in between where we focused on mental wellness, peer support and active listening; including keynote speakers Ernie Stevens, Mark Debona and Kevin Briggs plus highlight speaker Tom Farley!  Not only that, but we also had breakout sessions, round table discussions, peer support dogs and music entertainment/saxophonist from one of Chicago’s own CIT Officers!  Finally we celebrated our 2023 CIT Officer of the year; Heather Lencioni; CIT Agency of the Year; University of Illinois and the inaugural Aaron Landers Award to Tony Rigano!  Next up is the CIT Mental Health Training and Peer Support Resource Institute where we will be a repository of best practices, training and development, research, model policies and local resources for officers, agencies, families and practitioners!

Special thanks to our partners at the Executive Institute for their tireless efforts in making the event such a success; truly couldn’t have done it without them!

Here is a link to highlights of the State CIT Conference as well as some additional information on the CIT program and the courses that fall within the CIT series.

85 days.

Eighty-five days until we roll out three amazing keynote speakers, with special guest Tom Farley taking the stage.  From breakout sessions to networking and roundtable discussions – you DO NOT want to miss this conference! 

CIT Flyer

The 2023 Illinois Crisis Intervention Team Conference registration is NOW OPEN! The conference will take place June 14 & 15 at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria.

You don’t want to miss this phenomenal conference!

The 2023 CIT Conference is full of breakout sessions, round-table sessions, superior keynote presentations, networking and much more!

View the CIT Flyer for more information.

The ILETSB and ILETSB-Executive Institute are proud to announce our 2023 CIT State Conference will be held on June 14 & 15 at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria!

Please keep an eye on our webpage for additional information as it becomes available.

If you are interested in being a presenter at the upcoming conference, please visit the ILETSB-EI website for the Call for Presentations.

https://iletsbei.org/crisis-intervention-team-conference-2023/

Fiscal Year 22 CIT and Mental Health Related Training Opportunities will be posted on the CIT webpage under Upcoming Events mid to late September.

The Illinois 2021 CIT State Conference is a wrap! I’m so proud and humbled to have been a part of the team gathering these amazing speakers! This year we shared enhanced de-escalation skills and the importance of listening and validation. We discussed and shared resources for officer wellness and peer support. We dove into co-responder models and building CIT within your community. From key-note speakers to panels, break-outs, role play and round tabling, we hoped to have something for everyone; where participant interaction was encouraged and flourished! We hope that all participants returned to their agencies with more insight and understanding to strengthen CIT within their communities!

- Jennifer Wooldridge, state CIT coordinator

The CIT Course Invoice is now available for FY22.  The invoice can be found by going to Resources --> Forms & Information --> General Forms or by clicking this link.

Please view the CIT Flyer for more information.

The CIT Course Invoice is now available for FY21.  The invoice can be found by going to Resources --> Forms & Information --> General Forms or by clicking this link.

Be on the lookout for details on the ILETSB upcoming 2021 CIT Conference.

Information will be available here soon.