To return to the Local Program Example Database, click here
Connecticut State Capitol Police Crisis Intervention Team
Quick Facts:
- Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
- Connecticut State Capitol Police Dept
- Approximate number of officers in agency:
- 26
- 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:
- 2007
- Total number of officers in program:
- 5
Connecticut State Capitol Police Crisis Intervention Team
Contact:
- Name:
- Stephen Hajdasz
- Title:
- Lieutenant
- Organization:
- Connecticut State Capitol Police Dept
- Address:
- 210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106 - Email:
- stephen.hajdasz@cga.ct.gov
- Phone:
- 860-240-0240
Agency Information
- Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
- Connecticut State Capitol Police Dept
- Type of government that operates law enforcement agency:
- County or Parish
- Approximate number of officers in agency:
- 26
Specialized Response Description
- Program start year:
- 2007
- 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 providers, often as members of a mobile crisis team, are called in by law enforcement to provide crisis intervention at the scene.
- Background information:
- Our program began in May of 2007 with the first 3 Officers being trained. Our goal is to have all SCPD Officers CIT trained in the future. We have already seen great results and have been truly able to help and assist our community. Our partnership with the State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Clinician is a credit to the entire CIT program.
- Total number of officers in program:
- 5
- Number of people with mental illness served:
- 51-100
- Catchment area:
- More than one jurisdiction
- Funding source(s):
-
- Police Department
- State Mental Health Authority
- Staff supported by funding:
-
- Law Enforcement Officer
- MH Service Provider (e.g. case manager, social worker)
Program Partners and Personnel
- Existence of planning and oversight committee:
- Yes, formerly
- Committee participants:
-
- Law enforcement supervisory-level staff
- Law enforcement leadership
- Mental health or advocacy agencies that participate in program:
- DMHAS / Capitol Region Mental Health
- Written agreement of roles and procedures:
- Yes
- Recruitment and selection:
- Officers volunteer and some are selected.
- Program coordinator/boundary spanner
- Yes. The program coordinator represents a law enforcement agency
- Chief Michael J. Fallon State Capitol Police Department 210 Capitol Avenue Hartford, Ct 06106 (860) 240-0240
Training on Mental Health Issues
- Types of training on mental health issues:
-
- Basic in-service training for all patrol officers
- Connecticut Police Academy
- Advanced in-service training for select patrol officers
- 40 hours
- Number of officers who receive advanced training:
- 1-50
- Groups who conducts advanced training:
-
- Police officers
- Mental health professionals (crisis workers)
- Medical professionals (doctors or nurses)
- 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
- 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:
- 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:
- It is used by CIT trained supervisors to assess cases and for record keeping.
- 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:
- Each person is evaluated on a case by case basis and all handcuffing is documentated in a "Use of force" form.
- 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):
- General hospital emergency room
- Drop-off center accepts people with co-occurring substance abuse disorders:
- Yes
- Length of time for drop-off and return to patrol:
- 31-45 minutes
Program Sustainability
- Data collection:
- Yes
- Published evaluation:
- No
- Local media coverage:
- No
- Legislative funding or support:
- No
About this information:
A program representative provided this information details through a detailed survey.
For more information on the survey, read about our methodology or download a pdf of the full survey.
If you are a representative of a similar program not yet listed in our database, please register and take the survey to contribute your information.