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Weld County Sheriff's Office Crisis Intervention Team

Name of coordinating law enforcement agency:: Weld County Sheriff's Office
Approximate number of officers in agency:: 200
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:: 10

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:: The Sheriff's Office became operational with its CIT program in 2004 for patrol officers. Training is funded by grants and location exspenses are rotated by the regions primary agencies.
Total number of officers in program:: 10
Number of people with mental illness served:: 51-100
Catchment area:: The entire jurisdiction
Funding source(s):: Federal grant funds
Staff supported by funding:: Law Enforcement Officer

Existence of planning and oversight committee:: Yes, currently
Committee participants:: Law enforcement leadership
Mental health or advocacy agencies that participate in program:: Banner 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

Types of training on mental health issues:: Pre-service training for new recruits at the academy

4 hours

Basic in-service training for all patrol officers

8 hours

Advanced in-service training for all patrol officers

12 hours
Number of officers who receive advanced training:: 1-50
Groups who conducts advanced training:: Mental health professionals (crisis workers)

Medical professionals (doctors or nurses)
Advanced training topics:: Recognizing symptoms of mental illness, and clinical issues

Psychiatric medications

Community resources (mental health services, etc.)

Legal issues concerning individuals with mental illness

De-escalation techniques

Less lethal use of force options
Advanced training methods:: Presentations (including panels, lectures, and/or PowerPoints)

Videotapes

Standardized dispatch questions:

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

Mental health professional available to support police responder:

Yes, on site (e.g. mobile crisis team)

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:

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 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

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