(March 13, 2017) Less than 40 miles from the Treatment Advocacy Center’s offices in northern Virginia lies Anne Arundel County, Maryland. It’s an area rich in history, known for its proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and home to the state capital of Annapolis and the United States Naval Academy.
But there’s no corner of the country, not matter how quaint or bucolic, that’s immune to incidents involving law enforcement and an individual with serious mental illness (SMI).
Three years ago, county police faced a barrage of criticism after an officer repeatedly Tased a developmentally disabled man so popular in his neighborhood he was known as the “mayor of Edgewater.” How could it be that a figure well-known to the county police would be treated this way?
Since then, the county has hired a new police chief, Timothy Altomare, who has spoken of the need to change elements of traditional police culture, and to provide officers with the tools to properly interpret and react to situations involving those with mental illness
As part of that cultural shift, the county Mental Health Agency's Crisis Response Team recently led a week-long class in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for police officers from the county and other local departments. (“Police tackle interactions, relationships with mentally ill,” Capital Gazette, March 5)
The program, modeled after one pioneered the Memphis Police Department in the late 1980s, calls for 40 hours of training that includes:
- Instruction from mental health professionals and experienced officers in your community
- Personal interaction with people who have experienced and recovered from mental health crisis and with family members who have cared for loved ones with mental illness
- Verbal de-escalation skills
- Scenario-based training on responding to crises. With the help of volunteers or actors, officers practice their skills in common crisis situations, and get immediate feedback from instructors and classmates.
The training helped officers learn about what those who suffer from an SMI may be going through when they experience a crisis that brings about police involvement. And also gave them a chance to bring their own experiences dealing with family members into the picture.
"One in four adults have a mental illness and there are six people effected by every suicide," said Crisis Response Team training specialist Steve Plumber. "So it's crazy to think that everybody in this room was not effected in some way by mental health or suicide or anything that we're talking about."
If you are a law enforcement officer with a story to share of how CIT has made a difference, please let us know at
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If you are a family member of friend of someone with SMI, learn what you can do in the event of a crisis.
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(Photo: Dave Conner/Flickr)