Crestwood Police General Order Crisis Intervention Teams CIT Purpose: To establish procedural guidelines governing the functions and responsibilities of the department s Crisis Intervention Team. Policy: The Crisis Intervention Team is composed of specially trained officers whose function is to respond to incidents which involve a mental health crisis, where the officer s specialized skills may be used to successfully conclude such an incident and to provide further assistance, beyond the actual call, for the individuals involved, including family members and friends. The long term objectives of the program shall be to identify individuals suffering from extended bouts of mental health problems and to initiate measures to reduce the frequency of police contacts. Information will be channeled back to field operations to promote increased safety for both the police and the population at large. It is the intent of the Department to have a CIT Officer available 24 hours a day. The policies contained in this order shall not supersede the guidelines promulgated in general orders involving the Use of Force or the notification process required to request assistance from specialized units (e.g.: TACT, hostage negotiation, etc) Definitions: CIT Council Consumer A committee comprised of law enforcement, court officials, and mental health advocates, responsible for training and policy concerning various Crisis Intervention Teams. The council also serves as a review board that meets to discuss individual cases and formulate recommendations. A term used by the mental health community when referring to an individual with a suspected mental illness or who is involved in a perceived mental health crisis and utilizes mental health services. Crisis Intention Team Sworn officers who carry out their daily assignments but switch to a specialist role when a potential mental health related crisis is identified. These officers lead a police based crisis intervention team of other officers based on a strategy of de-escalation. These officers have received specialized training in mental health issues and the available mental health resources, which are available during a crisis situation. The goal is to provide a safer intervention for the person involved and responding law enforcement officers while redirecting the individual from traditional criminal justice services into emergency health care services. Classification: O27.5 Page 1 of 5
Mental Health Crisis Mental Illness A situation where an individual s normal coping mechanisms have become overwhelmed causing that individual to pose an immediate and significant risk to self or others. Any of various conditions characterized by impairment of an individual s normal cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, and caused by social, psychological, biochemical, genetic, or other factors, such as infection or head trauma. (C.A.L.E.A. 41.2.8) Agencies involved: Alliance for the Mentally Ill: NAMI St. Louis is a not for profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people stricken with mental illness and for all who love and care for them. NAMI offers family support groups and an array of educational programs about mental illness and mental health services. NAMI s telephone number is 314-966-4670. Behavioral Health Response: BHR is dedicated to serving the individual needs of people in a crisis with quality crisis intervention and other healthcare services, 24 hours a day. BHR provides supportive counseling, resources and face to face evaluations to people in crisis. BHR can assist police officers through consulting, referrals and assessments for people in crisis. There are no charges for BHR services. BHR s telephone number: 314-469-3638. The Mental Health Association of Greater St. Louis: MHA is a private not for profit organization concerned with the full continuum of mental illness and mental health issues in the community. MHA s telephone number is 314-773-1399. Selection of CIT Officers: Members of CIT should be volunteers with a least one year experience with the Crestwood Police Department and who possess the following traits: Good communication skills. Active listening skills. Ability to work under pressure. Ability to maintain a positive attitude under stressful situations. Ability to absorb verbal abuse without negative response. Ability in exercising good judgment and decision making. Ability to attend at least one CIT Council meeting annually. The officer s supervisor will make recommendations for officers to be considered for CIT. The watch commander will make recommendations for field operations and will present them to the Commander-Operations, who will review the recommendations and then make a recommendation to the Chief of Police for final approval. Selection and Responsibilities of the CIT Coordinator: Classification: O27.5 Page 2 of 5
The Commander-Operations will make a recommendation to the Chief of Police for the CIT Coordinator. The position will usually be the responsibility of the Field Operations Watch Commander. The CIT Coordinator will then be responsible for: Attends the CIT Council meetings on a regular basis. Ensure that all CIT slots are appropriately filled. CIT members receiving the required training. Forwarding required reports and information through the established chain of command. Prepare an annual statistical report to be submitted to the Commander-Operations. Serves as a liaison with mental health and justice personnel. Reports concerns and problems to the CIT Council. Operational Procedures: CIT Officers will function in their daily assigned duties when not acting in a CIT capacity. CIT assignment criteria shall be as follows: Attempt suicide calls. Disturbance calls involving an individual known or suspected to suffer from mental illness. Assault cases involving an individual known or suspected to suffer from mental illness. Voluntary and involuntary commitment calls where police presence is required. Check the welfare calls involving an individual or family member where mental illness is known to be present in the household. An incident where an individual, known or suspected of suffering from mental illness is reported to be making threats against themselves or others. Other calls where the individual is in a mental health crisis. Dispatch Procedures: When communications personnel receive a report of a situation known or suspected to involve a mental health crisis, two officers will be dispatched with one being a CIT Officer, if possible, If communications receives a report of a situation that is not immediately recognized as a mental health crisis and one of the initial officers on the scene determines that a CIT officer is needed, the CIT officer s presence will be requested at the scene. Dispatch will document CIT calls in CAD in accordance with established procedures. Classification: O27.5 Page 3 of 5
Control of Incident Scene: The on-scene CIT officer shall have the primary responsibility to use the CIT specialized skills to successfully conclude the incident with their primary focus being the care of the person involved in the crisis. Officers, who respond to an incident where a CIT officer was not dispatched and determine that the call involves a mentally ill or disturbed person in crisis, will request a CIT officer respond to the scene. Responsibilities of the CIT officer: Upon arrival at the scene of a mental health crisis, the CIT officer will determine the circumstances and be responsible for the initiation of the appropriate response. Should the CIT officer determine that the individual involved poses a threat to himself or others, the CIT officer shall be responsible to arrange for transportation. Upon arrival at the treatment facility, the CIT officer will arrange admission and complete any necessary affidavits that may be required. In the event an individual is not taken into custody, the CIT officer will be responsible for notifications to be made to mental health professionals for further care of the individual. (e.g. Behavioral Health Response). The CIT officer will complete all appropriate reports and paperwork. Responsibilities of the CIT Coordinator: The CIT coordinator will monitor the activities of the officers assigned to the CIT unit. This shall include, but not be limited to: Ensuring that CIT Officers complete the Crisis Intervention Team Report when applicable. Making certain that CIT officers conduct follow-up investigations on cases investigated by them, as necessary. Ensuring that CIT officers make warrant applications, as necessary. Overseeing the assignment of CIT officers to attend CIT Council-Review Board meetings, as requested. Classification: O27.5 Page 4 of 5
CIT Coordinator shall be responsible that all CIT reports are properly marked in the Record Management System for ready recall. All CIT reports will be maintained with the Records Section. CIT Coordinator will review the CIT files each month and produce a monthly report for the CIT files. Other copies of this report will be forwarded to the Commander-Operations and to the CIT Council. The CIT coordinator will flag any specific issues that may require attention. Transportation Procedures: Officers will transport individuals suffering from a mental health crisis in accordance with the guidelines established in the Department General Order S40.1 for transporting sick prisoners. Reporting Procedures: The officer initially assigned the call shall routinely be responsible to complete the original incident report in regard to the assignment. The CIT officer shall generally be responsible for the completion of a CIT report, (copy attached) a supplemental report and any and all forms associated with the admission of the individual into a treatment facility. CIT officer shall also have primary responsibility for any notifications made to mental health professionals. Should a warrant application be required, the CIT officer will be responsible to perform same, except in cases where the Bureau of Technical Services has taken over the investigation. Contingent upon the offense, in each case where an offense is referred for prosecution and has been committed by an individual in a mental health crisis, the officer responsible will inform the prosecutor of the individual s status and request that the prosecutor consider the diversion of the individual into a treatment or alternate mental health program. In those instances where a CIT officer is unavailable during a mental health crisis assignment, the assigned officers will be responsible to complete the original incident report, the CIT Report and provide any immediate assistance available to the individual involved. The responding officer will notify their supervisor of the incident, and that supervisor will ensure that the on-coming supervisor, with a CIT Officer available, is contacted and notified of the event at the earliest possible time. The CIT officer will then assume responsibility for the incident and make such contacts and complete the necessary supplemental reports that may be required. The CIT officer will also be responsible for warrant application, if any. Donald E. Greer Date Chief of Police Classification: O27.5 Page 5 of 5