On August 15th, members of the Illinois CIT team gave a presentation at the CIT International Conference in Detroit, MI. Click below to access the slides.

Because officers have to protect their own safety, as well as the safety of those around them, they only have a small amount of time in which to establish a communication mode that minimizes the risk of violence. Agitated, not-yet-violent individuals can often be directed away from violence through the proper use of communication skills. These techniques, like effective physical defensive tactics, are both simple and broad-based. Additionally, the verbal de-escalation techniques are geared to “set up” those being controlled so that physical control techniques are enhanced, whenever they are necessary. Finally, successful verbal de-escalation of agitated individuals in public view will increase respect for law enforcement among the general population. Such respect can contribute to future officer safety.

This 8 hour, voluntary training program was created as a review for officers with at least one year’s experience as an active CIT officer. Participants in the course will review topics such as trouble shooting, legal updates, self-care and community resources. They will also partake in valuable group exercises in de-escalation and active listening and review and refresh their skills in realistic scenario role play exercises.

This three day, (24 hour) course is intended for officers who have already attended the basic CIT 40 hour course (CIT-B). This advanced CIT class will expand upon the youth component of the basic 40 hour training. Participants in this training will review topics such as the impact of child/adolescent mental health, trouble shooting, crisis planning, risk assessment and active listening/de-escalation. Officers will also partake in realistic scenario role play exercises.

This 16 hour, voluntary training program was created as a review for officers with at least one year’s experience as an active CIT officer. Participants in the course will review topics such as trouble shooting, legal updates, self-care and community resources. They will also partake in valuable group exercises in de-escalation and active listening and review and refresh their skills in realistic scenario role play exercises.

Participants of this voluntary, 40 hour training program, receive intensive training on recognizing and addressing individuals in the community who have a mental illness or other behavioral health crisis. The CIT training program is an in depth, specialized course for officers with at least two year’s experience. The five day course includes presentations by behavioral health specialists, experienced field officers and representatives from regional service providers. Officers will receive training in topics such as mental illness/signs and symptoms, co-occurring disorders, child and adolescent issues, medical conditions and psychotropic medications, and law enforcement response and legal issues. They will also learn advanced communication and de-escalation techniques, partake in valuable exercises, have a unique opportunity to participate in discussions with individuals who have a mental illness and or their family members and given an opportunity to exercise their skills in realistic scenario role plays.

Participants of this voluntary, 40 hour training program, receive intensive training on recognizing and addressing individuals in the correctional setting who have a mental illness or other behavioral health crisis. As this course is specially tailored for correctional officers responding to an inmate in mental health crisis, the CIT-C course may only be attended by certified county corrections officers. The five day course incudes presentations by behavioral health specialists, experienced CIT officers and representatives from regional service providers. The correctional officers will receive training in topics such as mental illness/signs and symptoms, co-occurring disorders, medical conditions that can mimic mental illness and psychotropic medications, child and adolescent issues and correctional officer response and legal issues. They will also learn advanced communication and de-escalation techniques, partake in valuable exercises, have a unique opportunity to participate in discussions with individuals who have a mental illness and or their family members and given an opportunity to exercise their skills in realistic scenario role plays.

As emergency dispatchers are a critical link in the CIT program, this 8 hour course will introduce and familiarize attendees with the CIT training program. Call takers/911 operators will gain knowledge in how to recognize a behavioral crisis call and the appropriate questions to ask and relay to the responding CIT officer.

This presentation is designed to assist law enforcement professionals by the development of behavioral strategies to inoculate against loss of idealist and inappropriate behavior patterns. It will review the short and long term effect on law enforcement officers on both the personal and professional aspects of their lives. The course will discuss how the initial enthusiasm and desire to professionally contribute can be transformed into negative cynicism, social distrust and hostility to the world at large that significantly impacts the professionals work performance, decision-making and ultimately over-all quality of life. The course will also review the impact on the children of law enforcement families in terms of school functioning and health. The goal of the course is to have the law enforcement professional review the potential impact the career causes in the personal life and to develop strategies for overall emotional survival.

Law enforcement officers have an important role to play in their interactions with community members. This includes responding to incidents with individuals who are suffering from mental health issues. This 8 hour course, developed by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board, is meant to provide law enforcement officers with an awareness of mental health issues including a history of the mental health systems, types of mental illness including signs and symptoms, common treatments and medications. In keeping in line with the specialty CIT training course, this course, also focuses on potential interactions law enforcement officers have on a regular basis with these individuals, their families and service providers including de-escalating a potential crisis situation.

In the last four decades, the number of individuals with mental illness living in a community setting has risen drastically, resulting in increased contacts with law enforcement. Agencies across the country have responded by developing new protocols, hiring social workers, and implementing special response teams. This course is designed to increase officer awareness of mental health disorders and provide effective intervention techniques for handling mental health crisis situations. This training will benefit all levels of public safety, including police officers, corrections officers, probation officers, EMTs and telecommunicators. Topics include: • History and Background • National Perspectives • Types and Symptoms of Mental Illness • Medications and Co-occurring Disorders • Treatment for Mental Illness • Suicide Assessment and Response • Police Intervention Models • De-Escalation Strategies • Violence and Mental Illness • Legal Issues • HIPPA • Emergency Petitions

While the legislative requirements for police training in the subjects of mental health and de-escalation have skyrocketed in recent years, a critical element has been forgotten. Non-sworn public safety staff and emergency dispatchers have fallen behind in what are arguably the most important skills they may need. Ever on the front line of these emergencies, and most often the first point of contact, these vital pieces of the puzzle need to be considered for the critical role they play. This 8-hour training is specifically designed for 911 dispatchers, telecommunicators, 911 call takers, and any non-sworn staff required to interact with the public. We will cover the basics of identifying someone in a mental health crisis, de-escalation techniques, and crisis negotiation principles. These techniques are mandatory for those interacting with the public, and are applicable in person and over the phone. Also covered are legal requirements and mandates imposed on emergency call centers, focusing on Standard of Care and the most current legal findings. Of equal or greater concern is the lack of support and information on debriefing traumatic incidents and self-care. Developing current policies and recognizing the need for training and recognition stress the importance of these, and is paramount in helping our non-sworn staff be healthy and successful. At the end of this course, students should have a working knowledge of basic negotiation principles and practice, recognizing mental illness, crisis management, de-escalation techniques and practice, self-care and health options, legal requirements (including ADA regulations), and best practice for non-sworn interaction with the public.

This 2-day class will increase the resiliency of your officers while equipping them to train and respond to their fellow officers. A resilient, pro-active department focused on mental fitness increases performance, morale, retention, and recruitment.

COMING SOON

Because officers have to protect their own safety, as well as the safety of those around them, they only have a small amount of time in which to establish a communication mode that minimizes the risk of violence. Agitated, not-yet-violent individuals can often be directed away from violence through the proper use of communication skills. These techniques, like effective physical defensive tactics, are both simple and broad-based. Additionally, the verbal de-escalation techniques are geared to “set up” those being controlled so that physical control techniques are enhanced, whenever they are necessary. Finally, successful verbal de-escalation of agitated individuals in public view will increase respect for law enforcement among the general population. Such respect can contribute to future officer safety.

Across the United States, police departments spend countless hours training officers on the use of force involving simple wrist locks and pressure points; chemical agents and physical strikes; and progressing to impact weapons and firearms. While this type of training is critical for all law enforcement officers, agencies must provide proper “Tactical De-Escalation Techniques” to officers as well. Regardless of an agency or officer’s individual views of de-escalation tactics, it MUST be implemented into every police department’s training program. Many officers believe that the use of de-escalation techniques will jeopardize their safety and place them at a tactical disadvantage. But the proper use of de-escalation has the complete opposite effect. Statistics and studies show that it increases officer safety and places the officer in a more advantageous tactical position. This one-day course will provide officers with the necessary tools to properly de-escalate a situation while maintaining a tactical mindset. Officers will learn effective techniques for communicating under stress without escalating a situation. Instruction will also focus on field contacts with emotionally disturbed persons and mentally ill subjects. Officers will learn about key mental health issues relevant to street encounters, as well as specific de-escalation tactics for this special population. Practical, classroom-based scenarios will be presented to demonstrate these concepts.