Countywide implementation of crisis intervention teams: Multiple methods, measures and sustained outcomes

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Mental Health Services
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model aims to divert individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system to community treatment.
• Effective CIT implementation requires collaboration with community stakeholders and expanded mental health services, including 24/7 drop-off options.
• Previous research focused on officer training and perceptions, but less on comprehensive countywide implementation outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the countywide implementation of CIT.
• To expand on officer interactions with individuals experiencing mental health crises.
• To evaluate the impact of CIT training on officer perceptions and service utilization.

Main Methods:

• Case study of a countywide CIT implementation.
• Analysis of law enforcement officer interactions and training outcomes.
• Interrupted time series analysis of calls coded as mental health or suicide, examining drop-off dispositions to crisis centers.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in law enforcement drop-offs to the mental health crisis center post-CIT training.
• Sustained increase in crisis center drop-offs over time, confirmed by interrupted time series analysis.
• Positive changes in officer perceptions of individuals with mental health issues were observed.

Conclusions:

• Countywide CIT implementation, emphasizing collaboration and expanded services, effectively increases diversion to mental health crisis centers.
• Sustained improvements suggest the model's long-term viability and the importance of inter-agency communication.
• Findings have implications for policy and practice in managing individuals with mental illness encountered by law enforcement.