Mental Health Crisis & Law Enforcement

The information on this page is from NAMI Wisconsin’s website.

What Is A CIT-Trained Officer?

Crisis Intervention Team training is a community initiative designed to improve the outcomes of police interactions with people living with mental illnesses. CIT programs are local partnerships between law enforcement, mental health providers, local NAMI chapters, and other community stakeholders. CIT programs provide 40 hours of training for law enforcement on how to better respond to people experiencing a mental health crisis. CIT is not just a training. Effective CIT programs are based on strong relationships between law enforcement, mental health care providers, families, and people living with mental illness. CIT is a long-lasting, evolving partnership based on mutual goals.

The benefits of CIT include training officers about: 

  • Overview of various mental illnesses (symptoms, treatments, myths, and facts)

  • Presentations and discussion with family members and people living with mental illness

  • Education on de-escalating mental health crises safely and effectively

  • Interactive role-plays on crisis de-escalation with feedback from trainers

  • Other activities might include: auditory hallucination (hearing voices) simulations, site visits, ride-alongs with community social workers, and more

NAMI National also states that not only can CIT programs bring community leaders together, they can also help keep people with mental illness out of jail and in treatment, on the road to recovery. That’s because diversion programs like CIT reduce arrests of people with mental illness while simultaneously increasing the likelihood that individuals will receive mental health services. CIT programs also:

What Is A Mental Health Crisis, And Why Is It Important To Identify The Situation As One?

A mental health crisis is any situation, generally, in which a person’s behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others, prevents a person from being able to care for themselves, and/or stops them from functioning actively in the community. Common crisis emotions include feeling frightened, overwhelmed by negative emotions, and out of control. Generally, the person or their loved ones are unable to resolve the crisis without the help of trained professionals, such as CIT-trained officers. Crises can occur due to external factors — such as increased stress, loss of someone close or a companion animal, traumatic events, or major life changes — or internal triggers — such as intense depression, hopelessness, anxiety, anger, and panic.

Signs that action must be taken include extreme changes in behavior such as:

  • Attempts or making plans to harm or kill oneself

  • Threats to hurt others

  • Verbal or physical abuse

  • Excessive isolation

  • Not sleeping or eating for several days

  • Acute psychotic symptoms causing distress (delusions, hallucinations, paranoia)

It is important to remember that crises do not happen because somebody is weak or has “cracked.” It is not an inevitable or unavoidable part of living with a mental illness, and often signals problems with services and/or support, not with the person’s ability to get well. Crises look different from person to person, and somebody in a self-defined crisis should never be turned away from services.

Further, it is extremely important to have a safe outcome to let the dispatcher know that the person you are calling about is experiencing a mental health crisis. There is strong evidence that CIT training improves officer knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and use of force preferences (Ritter, et al.; Teller, et al.; ). In Compton, et al.,’s research in 2014, they found that CIT officers were more likely to resolve encounters with linkage or transport and less likely to resolve with arrest. Further, another study found that police officers who volunteered for CIT training instead of being assigned to it had better attitudes about mental illness and treatments, felt less anger, lowered stigma, had more knowledge about de-escalation skills, made better referral decisions, and were less likely to use force in situations ending in arrest.

Luckily, CIT-trained officers can safely and responsibly respond to situations in which a person is experiencing a mental health crisis. An example of how a CIT may respond to a situation can be seen in this clip from the movie, Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops. This clip may contain triggering material, and viewer discretion is advised. 

How Can I Request A CIT Officer If My Loved One Is Experiencing A Mental Health Crisis?

  1. Call 911

  2. State that the situation is a mental health crisis to the dispatcher. State your name and location, and describe in detail what is happening. Advise police if there is information on file with law enforcement about the person in crisis. Ask if it is possible to arrive without lights or sirens if this would help de-escalate the situation.

“I am calling because my loved one is having a mental health crisis. My goal is for them to get help, not to be arrested or harmed. My name is _______, and I am calling from [your location] because my [family member/friend + name] is ________.”

  1. Request that a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) or Mental Health officer respond to the situation. They may or may not be available, but it is beneficial to ask if they can respond.

“If possible, I’d like an officer with CIT training to respond.”

  1. If applicable, tell the officer if you know that your loved one has access to weapons, particularly firearms.

“My loved one has access to ___ weapons”

  1. If applicable, tell the officer if your loved one has made direct threats toward themselves (suicide), you, or others.

“My loved one has made direct threats of violence.”

  1. If there is time, briefly point out triggers that you believe could escalate the situation (speaking loudly, standing over the person experiencing the crisis, getting too close.)

“I want to make you aware of triggers that I believe will escalate this situation.”

  1. If there is time, briefly point out things that may prevent escalation, such as speaking softly, addressing concerns directly, and having a trusted person nearby.

“I want to make you aware of a few ideas for preventing escalation.”

  1. If there is time, let the dispatcher know what the person’s mental health diagnosis is, who their mental healthcare provider is, if the person is intoxicated or has overdosed, any current medications, and if the person is unable to care for themselves.

  2. When the officer arrives, state again that your loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis.

  3. Be calm and cooperative with both the 911 dispatcher and law enforcement officers. Answer all questions completely and honestly. Give a written statement if requested.

While you are waiting for help to arrive, try to reduce the intensity of the situation as much as possible by speaking calmly, being genuine, asking simple questions, and offering options for ways to make them feel safe.

For more information, visit Chapter 7 in our Resource Guide at namiwisconsin.org/resource-guide/.

Where Do I Go For More Resources?

For more resources, please explore the following pages:

Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops Q&A: https://youtu.be/ubPxWtqXhE4 

Mental Health Crisis Response Models webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JjS5x4ScrU 

Crisis Assessment Response Teams webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1BJzPG5wxQ 

CIT and CIP Core Agenda Topics: https://1vlihf36iej93pmxlr3a3o69-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2019/03/CITCIPCoretopics.pdf 

CIT Testimonials from cops: https://namiwisconsin.org/cit-cip/cit-testimonials/