The first ever National Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Conference will be held on May 11-12, 2005, in Columbus,
OH. The conference is directed at law enforcement personnel, mental health professionals, family advocates, consumers of mental health services and others who have been involved in the development and implementation
of CIT in communities across the US.

Click here to view the Conference's web site.

The Conference organizers - the Criminal Justice Coordinating Center of Excellence (CJ/CCoE), the Supreme Court of Ohio, and Capital University (OH) - are soliciting proposals to present at the Conference. Presentations will be organized into three tracks, tailored to jurisdictions looking to either start a CIT program, improve an existing program, or receive advanced CIT training.

Plenary sessions will be led by Major Sam Cochran and Dr. Randy Dupont from the nationally renowned Memphis CIT, Michele Saunders from Lakeside Alternatives in central Florida, and Lt. Michael Woody, CJ/CCoE's law enforcement liaison. The Conference will also offer workshops and shorter showcase sessions in which CIT experts from around the country can share their expertise. An open meeting will be held during the Conference to explore the idea of a National CIT Organization that would promulgate future conferences and fidelity measures for CIT.

To access the call for proposals, click here.

The deadline for submitting proposals is January 21, 2005. Questions should be directed to Lt. Michael Woody.