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Elyria Crisis Intervention Team
Quick Facts:
- Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
- Elyria Police Department
- Approximate number of officers in agency:
- 85
- 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:
- 11 Patrol, 5 Spvr, 1 dispatch, 4 Correction Officers
Elyria Crisis Intervention Team
Contact:
- Name:
- Diamalen Bermudez
- Organization:
- Elyria Police Department
- Address:
- 18 West Avenue
Elyria, OH - Email:
- bermudez@elyriapolice.org
- Phone:
- 440-323-3302
Agency Information
- Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
- Elyria Police Department
- Type of government that operates law enforcement agency:
- Township
- Approximate number of officers in agency:
- 85
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:
- Our program began when I, along with 2 representatives of our mental health system and 1 Sgt from a neighboring department, attended a CIT training course with the Summit County Sheriff's Department. Together with the Mental Health Board, we tailored that program to our use. Our first class was held April 5, 2002. Each year since we have had 1-2 classes per year.
- Total number of officers in program:
- 11 Patrol, 5 Spvr, 1 dispatch, 4 Correction Officers
- Number of people with mental illness served:
- More than 500
- Catchment area:
- The entire jurisdiction
- Funding source(s):
- Local Mental Health Department
Program Partners and Personnel
- Existence of planning and oversight committee:
- Yes, currently
- Committee participants:
-
- Law enforcement supervisory-level staff
- Mental health (and/or substance abuse) supervisory-level staff
- Mental health or advocacy agencies that participate in program:
- Lorain Country Mental Health Board, Nord Center, Nami of Ohio (Lorain County)
- Written agreement of roles and procedures:
- No
- Recruitment and selection:
- Officers volunteer and all are selected.
- Program coordinator/boundary spanner
- Yes. The program coordinator represents a law enforcement agency
- Same
Training on Mental Health Issues
- Types of training on mental health issues:
-
- Basic in-service training for all patrol officers
- 4-8 hours
- Advanced in-service training for select patrol officers
- 40 hours
- Advanced in-service training for dispatchers and / or call takers
- 8 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)
- Consumers
- 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
- 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
- Ride-alongs
- Videotapes
- Virtual reality/computerized simulations of mental illness symptoms
Response Procedures
- Standardized dispatch questions:
- No
- 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
- Use of information on individuals' mental illness stored in police records:
- Mostly where officer safety is concerned. And as a tool in helping the consumer get the help necessary.
- 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
- 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:
- If the subject has volunteered to receive mental health treatment and is not considered a threat by the transport officer.
- 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:
- 11-20 minutes
Program Sustainability
- Data collection:
- No
- Published evaluation:
- No
- Local media coverage:
- No
- Legislative funding or support:
- No
- Key to the program's success:
- As the coordinator for my department, I have been been keeping unofficial stats since the program's inception.
About this information:
A program representative provided this information details through a detailed survey.
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