The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Institute for the Greater Baton Rouge area has been scheduled by Capital Area Human Services (CAHS). This 40-hour, POST-approved, free institute will be offered over a five-day period, at CAHS’s Administration Building.
The curriculum, based on the Atlanta and Memphis models, was developed specifically for law enforcement agents and the public safety issues they face related to people experiencing mental health crises. Participants will be able to receive college credit through Northwestern State University upon enrollment, completion and successful passage of the challenge test. Through ongoing contact with our CIT institute graduates, we hear that they have used their new skills to deescalate crisis situations and have found that the training has aided in their ability to more safely respond to the needs of the mentally ill. Agencies that have pledged to meet the standards of the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s “One Mind Campaign” will want their officers to complete this course. To date, we have trained over 600 local officers.
