CIT is an effective training and response program designed for law enforcement officers who handle crisis calls involving people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and addiction disease. CIT is a pre-booking jail diversion program which seeks to prevent arrest and incarceration for misdemeanor or “nuisance” crimes and to connect the individual with treatment resources instead.

History

The Memphis, Tennessee Police Department developed the first CIT program in 1988 following a tragic incident in which officers fatally shot a suicidal man. The Memphis CIT was developed to betterequip officers to respond to persons experiencing a serious mental health crisis. CIT quickly spreadto jurisdictions throughout the United States. The first CIT program in North Carolina was establishedin Wake County in 2005. In early 2008 a local task force was convened develop a CIT program inCumberland County. After many months of planning, the Fayetteville-Cumberland CIT programgraduated its first class of law enforcement officers in June 2009.

Specialized Training

The Fayetteville-Cumberland CIT Academy is based on the original model developed by the MemphisPolice Department. Law enforcement officers earn CIT Certification by successfully completing anintensive 40-hour training and evaluation process.

Continuing Education Credits are awarded byFayetteville Technical Community College. Training modules include:

• Mental Health 101: Clinical Disorders
• Crisis Intervention and Verbal De-escalation
• Suicide: Risk Factors & Intervention
• Trauma & PTSDMilitary & Veterans Issues
• Interactions with Consumers and Families
• Simulated “Hearing Voices” Exercise
• Site Visits to Treatment Programs
• Community Resources & Mobile Crisis Teams
• Responding to Children & Adolescents
• Personality Disorders
• Dementia & Aging
• Homelessness & Mental Illness
• Deaf & Hard of Hearing
• Interactive Role Plays
• Evaluation and Feedback from Certified CIT Officers
• Benefits of CIT
• Rapid and effective crisis response
• Enhanced de-escalation skills for officers
• Decrease in the use of force during crisis events
• Decrease in number of injuries to consumers
• Decrease in the number of injuries to officers
• Decrease in the number of arrests for misdemeanors
• Cost savings in time and financial resources
• Officer and department recognition and appreciation

Participating Departments

The Fayetteville-Cumberland CIT program welcomes the participation of new departments.We have trained officers from the following law enforcement agencies and divisions:

• Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
• Cumberland County Detention Center
• Cumberland County Juvenile Detention Center
• Fayetteville Police Department
• Fort Bragg – Dept. of the Army Civilian Police
• Pope Air Force Base Security Forces
• Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Security Forces
• Fayetteville VA Medical Center Police Service
• Spring Lake Police Department
• Fayetteville Tech. Community College – Public Safety
• Methodist University Police
• Allied Barton/CFVMC Police

Community Partners

• Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
• Fayetteville Police Department
• Cumberland County Mental Health Center
• NAMI – Cumberland County
• Fayetteville Technical Community College
• Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office
• Cumberland County Public Health Department
• Fayetteville VA Medical Center
• NC Division of MH/DD/SA
• NC Division of Community Corrections
• Cape Fear Valley Medical Center
• Alzheimers North Carolina

 

Awards

2009
Outstanding County Program Award, NC Association of County Commissioners

2010
Local Government Federal Credit Union Employee Productivity Award

Affiliations
The Fayetteville-Cumberland CIT Program is affiliated with North Carolina CIT and CIT International

LINKS:
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
Fayetteville Police Department
NAMI
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Memphis Police Department CIT
Wake County CIT
North Carolina CIT
CIT International