Waterloo Crisis Intervention Team

Quick Facts:

Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
Waterloo Police Department
Approximate number of officers in agency:
124
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

Waterloo Crisis Intervention Team

Contact:

Name:
Ann Meyer
Title:
Training Director
Organization:
Waterloo Police Department
Address:
715 Mulberry Street
Waterloo, IA
Email:
ann.meyer@waterloo-ia.org
Phone:
319-291-4346 X 3212

Agency Information

Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:
Waterloo Police Department
Type of government that operates law enforcement agency:
Township
Approximate number of officers in agency:
124

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:
There is only one specialized response program in the jurisdiction.
Background information:
Following an incident in which a mentally ill individual came at an officer with a knife, he was subsequently shot and later died at the hospital. Our local NAMI leader approached our Chief and requested we receive some training in Mental Health Issues. A donation for the training was received and a program was initiated called the Crisis Intervention Team. Officers were trained extensively in Mental Health issues and assumed the role of "CIT".
Total number of officers in program:
11
Number of people with mental illness served:
101-200
Catchment area:
The entire jurisdiction
Funding source(s):
  • Police Department
    • Staff supported by funding:

      Program Partners and Personnel

      Existence of planning and oversight committee:
      Yes, currently
      Committee participants:
    • Law enforcement supervisory-level staff
      • Mental health or advocacy agencies that participate in program:
      NAMI and Black Hawk Grundy Mental Health
      Written agreement of roles and procedures:
      No
      Recruitment and selection:
      Officers volunteer and some 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:
    • Pre-service training for new recruits at the academy
    • 6 hours
    • Basic in-service training for all patrol officers
    • 8 hours
    • Basic in-service training for dispatchers and / or call takers
    • 36 hours
    • 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)
    • 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
    • Ride-alongs
    • Videotapes
    • Virtual reality/computerized simulations of mental illness symptoms
      • Other information on training:
      We work very closely with our local Mental Health Service Provider and would very much like to enact a Mobile Crisis Response Team. However, at this time, personnel to start up such a team have not been located.

      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
      • Use of information on individuals' mental illness stored in police records:
      We use the information to assess the need for specially trained officers. We also use the information to help the consumer get the assistance needed. We use the information to know how to effectively respond to the call.
      Mental health professional available to support police responder:
      • No
      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:
      No
      Access to drop-off locations:
      We can transport to the hospital Mental Health Unit, hope the judge on call will sign a commitment order, and hope the wait doesn't take our entire shift.
      Procedure for streamlined intake and a "no refusal" policy for police referrals?
      No
      Location of drop-off center(s):
    • Psychiatric emergency room in general hospital
      • Drop-off center accepts people with co-occurring substance abuse disorders:
      Yes
      Length of time for drop-off and return to patrol:
      More than 45 minutes

      Program Sustainability

      Data collection:
      No
      Published evaluation:
      No
      Local media coverage:
      We have had articles published in our local paper and on our local news channel.
      Legislative funding or support:
      No
      Key to the program's success:
      We still struggle with the waiting time at the hospital to get a patient committed. It usually takes the officer's entire shift to get this accomplished. I feel we, as police officers, should be given some type of priority so we are able to get back out on the street. We are paid by taxpayers and I am sure they wouldn't be happy knowing our time is being used as a babysitter.
      About this information:

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

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