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Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)
Quick Facts:
- Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
- Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)
- Approximate number of officers in agency:
- 5
- 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:
- All five of our officers are trained.
Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)
Contact:
- Name:
- Michael Jones
- Title:
- Chief of Police
- Organization:
- Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)
- Address:
- 25 West Indiana Street
Trenton, IL - Email:
- chief@trenton-il.com
- Phone:
- 618-224-9226
Agency Information
- Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
- Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)
- Type of government that operates law enforcement agency:
- Township
- Approximate number of officers in agency:
- 5
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:
- Several Counties held meetings disussing the problem. Mental Health officials and resources met. State Senators and Representative got involved with funding. Training was made available. Teams were formed
- Total number of officers in program:
- All five of our officers are trained.
- Number of people with mental illness served:
- 51-100
- Catchment area:
- More than one jurisdiction
- Funding source(s):
- Police Department
- Staff supported by funding:
- Law Enforcement Officer
Program Partners and Personnel
- Existence of planning and oversight committee:
- No (please proceed to question 17)
- Written agreement of roles and procedures:
- No
- Recruitment and selection:
- Officers are assigned.
- Program coordinator/boundary spanner
- No
Training on Mental Health Issues
- Types of training on mental health issues:
-
- Advanced in-service training for select patrol officers
- 40 hours
- Number of officers who receive advanced training:
- 1-50
- Groups who conducts advanced training:
- Mental health professionals (crisis workers)
- 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
- Other information on training:
- This is a statewide training program. I feel it is an excellent model. Similar programs have been going on in other communities since the 1980's. Check Memphis, Tn program. This program protects the patient and the police.
Response Procedures
- Standardized dispatch questions:
- Not Sure
- Dispatch documentation:
- Not sure
- Incident documentation by responding officer:
- Record information in a field encounter form, or other form used to document every citizen encounter
- Use of information on individuals' mental illness stored in police records:
- For officer safety and public health safety. We do not disseminate the information to outside contacts.
- Mental health professional available to support police responder:
- Yes, both on-site and remotely
- Officers permitted to transport people with mental illness to services when:
- The person has volunteered to receive mental health treatment
- Officers allowed to transport a person without handcuffs:
- No
- Access to drop-off locations:
- Must call prior to bringing patient in.
- Procedure for streamlined intake and a "no refusal" policy for police referrals?
- Yes
- Location of drop-off center(s):
- Psychiatric emergency / crisis center
- Drop-off center accepts people with co-occurring substance abuse disorders:
- No
- Length of time for drop-off and return to patrol:
- More than 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.
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