Does Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training Affect Officers’ Perceptions of Mentally Ill Individuals?

• In Event: Police Training

Abstract

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training is a nationally recognized approach to improving law enforcement’s response to individuals in mental health crisis. In New Jersey, CIT is a county-based model that focuses on training both law enforcement and mental health professionals to foster stronger inter-agency collaboration. The present study employs a multi-site, mixed-methods design to evaluate whether CIT training changes officers’ perceptions of mentally ill individuals (n=250). Integrated quantitative and qualitative data demonstrate that CIT training is an effective training tool for improving officers’ perceptions of mentally ill individuals.

Authors

• Megan Forney, Monmouth University

• Brian Lockwood, Monmouth University