Cleveland Crisis Intervention Team

Quick Facts:

Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
Cleveland Division of Police
Approximate number of officers in agency:
1600
Primary specialized response:
Police officers are trained to provide crisis intervention services and to act as liaisons to the mental health system.
Program start year:
2005 or earlier
Total number of officers in program:
140

Cleveland Crisis Intervention Team

Contact:

Name:
Linda Sealey
Title:
Instructor
Organization:
Cleveland Division of Police
Address:
1300 Ontario Street
Cleveland, OH
Email:
Lsealey@city.cleveland.oh.us
Phone:
216-623-5042

Agency Information

Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
Cleveland Division of Police
Type of government that operates law enforcement agency:
Township
Approximate number of officers in agency:
1600

Specialized Response Description

Program start year:
2005 or earlier
Primary specialized response:
Police officers are trained to provide crisis intervention services and to act as liaisons to the mental health system.
Secondary specialized response:
Mental health professionals partner with law enforcement officers to provide on-scene crisis intervention and referral.
Background information:
Previous Chief Lohn brought the idea back to the Division after learning about it during a conference. He partnered with the CEO of Cuyahoga Community Mental Health Board, William Denihan. It took approximately one year of planning before we graduated our first class of officers.
Total number of officers in program:
140
Number of people with mental illness served:
101-200
Catchment area:
The entire jurisdiction
Funding source(s):
  • Police Department
  • Local Mental Health Department
  • Federal grant funds
    • Staff supported by funding:
  • Law Enforcement Officer
  • MH Service Provider (e.g. case manager, social worker)
  • Medical professional (e.g. nurse, doctor)

    • Program Partners and Personnel

    Existence of planning and oversight committee:
    Yes, currently
    Committee participants:
  • Law enforcement line-level staff
  • Law enforcement supervisory-level staff
  • Mental health (and/or substance abuse) line-level staff
  • Mental health (and/or substance abuse) supervisory-level staff
  • Consumers of mental health services
  • Family members of consumers
  • Advocates
    • Mental health or advocacy agencies that participate in program:
    Cuyahoga county Community Mental Health Board, Charity Hospital, Bridgeway Inc. Adult Protective Services, Murtis Taylor , Cuy. County Board of Mental Retardation, The Living Miracles, Veteran's Hospi
    Written agreement of roles and procedures:
    Yes
    Recruitment and selection:
    Officers volunteer and some are selected.
    Program coordinator/boundary spanner
    Yes. There are multiple program coordinators
    same

    Training on Mental Health Issues

    Types of training on mental health issues:
  • Pre-service training for new recruits at the academy
  • Basic in-service training for all patrol officers
  • Basic in-service training for dispatchers and / or call takers
  • Advanced in-service training for all patrol officers
  • Advanced in-service training for select patrol officers
  • Advanced in-service training for dispatchers and / or call takers
    • Number of officers who receive advanced training:
    1400
    Groups who conducts advanced training:
  • Police officers
  • Mental health professionals (crisis workers)
  • Medical professionals (doctors or nurses)
  • Consumers
  • Community members
  • Advocates
  • Family member of a person with mental illness
    • Advanced training topics:
    • Recognizing symptoms of mental illness, and clinical issues
    • Co-occurring disorders
    • Psychiatric medications
    • Community resources (mental health services, etc.)
    • Legal issues concerning individuals with mental illness
    • Legal issues concerning police officer liability
    • De-escalation techniques
    • Less lethal use of force options
    • Suicide prevention
    • The role of families and other supports in mental health treatment and recovery
    Advanced training methods:
  • Presentations (including panels, lectures, and/or PowerPoints)
  • Role plays
  • Site visits to community mental health facilities
  • Videotapes
  • Virtual reality/computerized simulations of mental illness symptoms

    • Response Procedures

    Standardized dispatch questions:
    Yes
    Dispatch documentation:
  • Document in central computer database used for all calls, such as a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system
    • Incident documentation by responding officer:
  • Relay information to dispatch who records it in general computer database used for all calls, such as a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system
  • Record information on a form used only for mental health calls
  • Record information in a field encounter form, or other form used to document every citizen encounter
  • Record information in an arrest report
    • Use of information on individuals' mental illness stored in police records:
    Police action documentation, and follow up
    Mental health professional available to support police responder:
  • Yes, remotely by telephone or dispatch (e.g. a crisis worker or psychiatric emergency room personnel)
    • Officers permitted to transport people with mental illness to services when:
    • The person has volunteered to receive mental health treatment
    • The person is being brought to a hospital for emergency evaluation
    • The person is being brought to a crisis center or other health care facility for stabilization or medications management
    Officers allowed to transport a person without handcuffs:
    Officer Discretion for misdemeanor arrests.
    Access to drop-off locations:
    Yes. It is open 24 hours a day.
    Procedure for streamlined intake and a "no refusal" policy for police referrals?
    Yes
    Location of drop-off center(s):
  • Psychiatric emergency / crisis center
  • Psychiatric emergency room in general hospital
  • General hospital emergency room
    • Drop-off center accepts people with co-occurring substance abuse disorders:
    No
    Length of time for drop-off and return to patrol:
    11-20 minutes

    Program Sustainability

    Data collection:
    Yes
    Published evaluation:
    No
    Local media coverage:
    Yes.
    Legislative funding or support:
    Yes.
    About this information:

    A program representative provided this information details through a detailed survey.

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