In September of this year, Tompkins County held it's first Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training for law enforcement and other agencies actively involved in responding to crisis calls in our county. CIT programs help keep our loved ones who live with mental health conditions out of jail and in treatment toward recovery, rather than criminalizing their illness. More than 20 participants from the following agencies were represented in this training:
- Tompkins County Sheriff's Office
- Ithaca Police Department
- Dryden Police Department
- Ithaca College Public Safety
- Tompkins County Probation Department
- Department of Emergency Response
CIT programs in our communities decrease arrests and increase the likelihood people in crisis engage with important mental health services. Benefits of CIT include:
- Officer and community safety- When people responding to crisis calls have more knowledge and understanding about mental health, their own and those they are responding to, safety is improved for everyone.
- Saves time and redirects focus- Techniques used in CIT help officers help people in crisis more effectively, reducing the amount of time required for crisis calls, which gets officers back into the community to focus on crime.
- Reduced cost- Incarceration is costly. Helping people access the supports and treatment options that are available reduces the incidence of incarceration and impact it has on people's lives.
For more information about CIT, visit NAMI's advocacy site at:
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Programs
NAMI Finger Lakes participated in a panel to share family experience during crisis for this training. We created cards with communication recommendations and local crisis resources for them to carry and share with families during crisis calls. To acknowledge individual's participation in the training, NAMI Finger Lakes provided each participant with a copy of the book Overcoming The Darkness: Shining Light On Mental Illness, Trauma and Suicide in Law Enforcement by Sgt. Eric Weaver (Ret.). Each book included a bookmark developed by NAMI Finger Lakes with information about NAMI's signature program, Front Line Wellness. FLW connects first responders with appropriate resources that support their mental health.
NAMI Finger Lakes advocated for CIT in the county during the Reimagining Public Safety process and would like to thank the Tompkins County Sheriff Department and Tompkins County Mental Health Services for coordinating this training and for including NAMI Finger Lakes.
Beth McGee
Executive Director
NAMI Finger Lakes