The crisis intervention programs for youth briefly described below were chosen as case studies for this paper because they are comprehensive and follow the overarching guidelines set for adult CIT programs. These programs are described and compared in further detail in subsequent sections of this paper. Children in Crisis (CIC) Denver, Colorado CIC levels the playing field so everyone is working from the same sheet of music…everyone wins! I cannot imagine law enforcement not wanting this; it goes a long way with kids.
‐ Sgt. Jon VanZandt, Adams County Sheriff’s Office Children in Crisis (CIC) is a regionally‐based program designed to divert youth with mental illness from the juvenile justice system by using appropriate crisis intervention responses and services. One of the components of this CIT‐based program is training for law enforcement personnel, including school resource officers (SROs), and school administrators. This program is designed to improve crisis intervention responses with youth and in schools by training officers on mental health issues, de‐escalation and problem solving techniques, and methods for connecting to child and adolescent resources. As with any CIT‐based program, a key component of the program is the development of local partnerships between stakeholder groups. CIC was developed by a CIT stakeholder group, including a number of local law enforcement agencies and juvenile justice professionals, under the Colorado Regional Community Policing 10 Institute (CRCPI). The program was piloted in 2006.The program is available to be implemented in other communities, however, the community partnerships described above must be in place before program implementation. The program is currently being revised as part of a national Models for Change multi‐state project, funded by the MacArthur Foundation.The updated and revised program will be named CIT for Youth. For more information about CIC, please visit www.dcj.state.co.us/crcpi (Click “CIT”). Children’s Crisis Intervention Training (CCIT) San Antonio, Texas If you can bridge the gap between school districts and police departments and youth with mental illness, that makes all the difference. Safety is the first thing on a school administrator’s mind, so it is important to emphasize that the program is in tune with those concerns.
‐ Terri Mabrito, Youth Diversion Facilitator, The Center for Health Care Services The Children’s Crisis Intervention Training (CCIT) program focuses on training school campus officers and school resource officers (SROs) to respond to children and youth in psychiatric crises and divert them to mental health treatment. This provider‐driven, community‐based program involves various community organizations, youth, and families in implementing the program and developing community partnerships for sustainability. The program was developed by youth‐focused community partners and stakeholders with leadership and coordination by the Center for Health Care Services in Bexar County. The program was piloted in 2008. The program is available to be implemented in other communities. Fine tuning will help the program fit the uniqueness of any community, particularly with respect to the unique needs and resources of school districts and their police departments. For more information, contact Terri Mabrito, Community Liaison, Youth Diversion Facilitator, The Center for Health Care Services, at tmabrito@chcsbc.org. Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) for Youth Chicago, Illinois The officers at school are at the front entrance to the juvenile justice system. They need more support. They should not just be used as the ‘bad guys.’
‐ Lt. Jeffry Murphy, Chicago Police Department Chicago’s CIT for Youth program, which is still in development, will focus on diverting youth from the juvenile justice system to mental health treatment. The program will target schoolbased police officers and will work closely to develop a hand‐in‐hand partnership with schools. The program includes the promotion and delivery of supplemental programs that educate school professionals on mental illness. CIT for Youth is being developed by the Chicago Police Department and is expected to be available for dissemination in 2009. However, it will likely require adaptations to successfully meet the needs of diverse communities. For more information, contact Officer Kurt Gawrisch, Crisis Intervention Team, Chicago Police Department, at: kurt.gawrisch@chicagopolice.org.
