Crisis Intervention Training strengthens partnership between law enforcement, mental health providers

Apr. 19—BEMIDJI — Serving in law enforcement requires all sorts of expertise, but sometimes the most important skills are the least expected.

While not every moment calls for it, there are times when sitting down, listening and making a genuine effort to connect is exactly what a situation needs.

It's skills like these that Crisis Intervention Training helps law enforcement and other first responders develop so that when they meet a person experiencing a mental health crisis they're able to empathize, communicate and coordinate the help that the individual needs.

Sometimes this involves calling local mental health resources, like the Mobile Crisis Team in Bemidji operated by Sanford Health.

If they're called onto a scene with an officer who's gone through CIT, it's not uncommon for them to find the officer quietly having a conversation with the individual in crisis, or taking other measures to help that person feel as calm and safe as possible.

"CIT is hands down incredible," explained Ashlea McMartin, the director of Behavioral Health at Sanford. "Sometimes we walk up and (the officer) is sitting on the curb next to the kid and they're playing with a ball, because that's what's needed at that moment."

And as helpful as CIT is, it's also only part of what has become a growing relationship between local law enforcement and area mental health providers.

"(The partnership) started out as some informal talks and it's turned into a monthly session that everyone looks forward to where we can sit down and talk about what's going on," said Captain David LaZella, with the Bemidji Police Department. "That relationship has blossomed."

For the last several years the police department, Beltrami County Sheriff's Office and Sanford Health have partnered to put on CIT courses, with invitations then extended to agencies and organizations across the region.

The intensive 40-hour course incorporates classroom sessions, panels and professional actors working with participants to play out realistic scenarios so they can practice their intervention skills.

Participants learn about different mental health diagnoses and symptoms, ranging from schizophrenia, dementia, mood and substance disorders to those who are actively suicidal. The course also teaches strategies to communicate with the individual in crisis and help them while keeping the situation under control.

"(CIT) is a way of communicating with folks in crisis that helps us understand what they're going through and gives us an effective way to communicate," LaZella explained. "It reduces injury to them, it reduces injury to us, and it allows us to understand how mental illness affects a lot of different people in a lot of different ways. "

In addition to providing strategies individuals can pursue, the course also pulls in mental health resources from around the local area to build connections and relationships between organizations.

"(The CIT course) works really hard at bringing in local resources. It's not just about them coming in and teaching, it's also about bringing stakeholders together," McMartin shared. "They're really building bridges within that community."

Connecting different organizations has helped each of them understand what the others' skills and resources are, improving the efficacy of their partnerships.

"There's this mutual understanding of what Mobile Crisis can do, but also from our end what law enforcement can do," shared Merri McCarthy, the team lead for Mobile Crisis. "We all just want to continue to build that relationship."

Now when an officer responds to someone in crisis, beyond having better skills for their own interaction with the individual, they know that there are resources and teams they can reach out to for additional support or follow-up care.

"We've had calls from law enforcement where they don't know if they need us, but they want us there just in case that individual would engage with us, so we're on-site and we're quickly available," McCarthy said.

Similarly, Mobile Crisis knows that it can reach out to law enforcement and have them on standby if necessary when responding to one of its own calls.

"That's a whole other level of trust than what had existed previously, to know that (officer) is going to respond if it's needed and that they've got my back," McMartin shared.

Both ends of the partnership have expressed strong satisfaction with the relationship, with neither taking it or its benefits for granted.

"I really do get great satisfaction from working with those folks," LaZella said. "None of this would be possible without them."

For both parties, it's something special and something that they hope continues to grow.

"I've talked to a lot of organizations across the state, and outside of the state, and people are always amazed at the opportunities we have to sit at the table (with law enforcement) and have open conversations," McMartin said. "There's a humbleness evident in people coming to the table and saying 'We can't do this alone.'"

___

(c)2024 The Bemidji Pioneer (Bemidji, Minn.)

Visit The Bemidji Pioneer (Bemidji, Minn.) at www.bemidjipioneer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.