Over 35 law enforcement, probation, tribal officers and mental health service providers in Humboldt complete CIT training

 

Over 35 law enforcement, probation and tribal officers along with mental health service providers from agencies across the county participated in a five-day Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training to learn strategies to better respond to people experiencing mental health crises.  

Yurok Tribal Police and the Eureka Police Department collaborated to put on the state-certified CIT training. CIT is a program that provides the foundation necessary to promote community and statewide solutions to assist individuals with a mental illness and/or addiction. The CIT Model reduces both stigma and the need for further involvement with the criminal justice system. CIT provides a forum for effective problem solving regarding the interaction between the criminal justice and mental health care system and creates the context for sustainable change. Since 2007, following this training, more than 650 people have completed the course locally, including representatives from law enforcement agencies, law offices, parks systems, ambulance services, DHHS, tribes and medical facilities.                               

Law enforcement professionals, service providers and nationally recognized experts led this week’s training where participants learned tips on how to recognize when a person is experiencing a mental health crisis, what specific mental health disorders look like and how they may influence an interaction between an officer and someone in crisis. Participants were also taught techniques that can keep officers and subjects safe during an encounter. Attendees were able to attend a Service Fair with over 30 vendors who provide services to unhoused and those experiencing mental health issues to increase awareness of available resources.  

Yurok Tribal Program Manager Kelly Johnson said, “I’m honored to work collaboratively with our stakeholders to train law enforcement, Behavioral Health staff and other community providers to effectively interact with people experiencing behavioral health crises with dignity and respect from a trauma-informed lens. I’m so proud of this team and the work we do together.”  The Humboldt Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Arcata, Eureka, Hoopa and Yurok Tribal Police departments, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County Probation and DHHS collaborated and attended this year’s CIT training.